I. ˈləl verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English lullen; probably of imitative origin like Middle Low German lollen to lull, Middle Dutch lollen to mumble, doze, Latvian leluot to rock a child, Sanskrit lolati he moves to and fro
transitive verb
1.
a. : to make quiet : cause to sleep or rest peacefully : soothe
sat lulling the child — George Eliot
lulled him to sleep with an interminable canticle — Rudyard Kipling
b. : to bring to a state of comparative calm
lulled the raging seas
2. : to induce a false sense of security and well-being in : cause to relax one's vigilance : lessen tension in
lull them into an apathetic sense of security — Raymond Holden
lull the group into contentment — Oscar Handlin
lulled our minds with things we wanted to see again — H.D.Skidmore
intransitive verb
: to diminish in force or intensity : subside , abate
the afternoon breeze lulled and finally dropped off altogether — O.E.Rölvaag
this conversation would lull for awhile — Richard Church
Synonyms: see calm
II. noun
( -s )
1. archaic : something that lulls or soothes ; specifically : lullaby
2.
a. : a temporary cessation or lessening of the wind or of a storm
a lull in the rain
b. : a period of intensified quiet
the lull before the storm
a dark still summer lull — Kay Boyle
3. : a temporary drop in activity
the business lull will end by midyear — Look
when a lull comes in the creative activity — Ralph Linton
4. : a relaxed or dazed state of mind
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Low German lull; akin to Dutch lul mouth of a pump, baby bottle, Dutch lullen to suck, prattle (from Middle Dutch lollen to mumble, doze)
: a tube through which blubber is passed to tubs in the hold of a whaling ship