| 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 |