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lull

(lŭl)

v. lulled, lull·ing, lulls

v.tr.

1. To cause to sleep or rest; soothe or calm: The sound of the waves lulled me to sleep.

2. To deceive into trustfulness: "that honeyed charm that he used so effectively to lull his victims" (S.J. Perelman).

v.intr.

To become calm: The wind finally lulled.

1. A relatively calm interval, as in a storm.

2. An interval of lessened activity: a lull in sales.

[Middle English lullen, possibly of Low German origin.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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