Definition of lullaby
lullabies
: a soothing refrain; specifically : a song to quiet children or lull them to sleep
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of lullaby from the Web
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Purpose: Reducing unwanted noise and increasing appropriate sounds for a newborn baby, such as a mother’s speech and lullabies, promotes the baby’s development.
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Might as well keep with that theme and use the lullaby music to enhance a good, restful sleep.
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Originally sung as lullabies, the dauntless duets are now a competition to see who laughs first.
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Did the soothing sounds of lullabies evolve out of an arms race?
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And later, in 7x10, Mary Drake sings the same lullaby to Spencer.
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Not many babies get the quality lullabies that almost-3-year-old Christian Eberhardt and his new brother, arriving next month, will enjoy.
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There’s the quirky lullaby that Tom used to croon to his infant daughters; the lyrical compositions of Carver and Ray and an aspiringly cheerful singalong in Tom’s kitchen halfway through the show.
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Combined with a score that includes Romanian lullabies, Naharin’s choreography, with its customarily frank inhibition and strange beauty, becomes more tender than usual.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lullaby.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of lullaby
obsolete English lulla, interjection used to lull a child (from Middle English) + bye, interjection used to lull a child, from Middle English by
lullaby
Definition of lullaby
lullabied
;lullabying
transitive verb
: to quiet with or as if with a lullaby
Examples of lullaby in a Sentence
reclining peacefully on the deck, lullabied by the gentle motion of the ship
First Known Use of lullaby
1576
LULLABY Defined for English Language Learners
lullaby
playDefinition of lullaby for English Language Learners
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: a song used to help a child fall asleep
LULLABY Defined for Kids
lullaby
playDefinition of lullaby for Students
lullabies
: a song for helping a baby or child fall asleep
Learn More about lullaby
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See words that rhyme with lullaby Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lullaby Spanish Central: Translation of lullaby Nglish: Translation of lullaby for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lullaby for Arabic speakers
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