Lullaby

Lullaby

Noun / Verb · /ˈlʌl.ə.baɪ/

Definition

(Noun) a soft, gentle song sung to a child to send it to sleep; (Verb) to sing to sleep with a lullaby.

Origin

From lull (to soothe, from an onomatopoeic base) + by (a diminutive interjection, like bye, used in soothing sounds). The compound lullaby thus combines the lulling sound with the gentle bye-bye dismissal of consciousness. The word is attested from the 16th century. Lullabies are among the oldest documented musical forms, found in every known human culture.