释义 |
lull 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 |