lullaby

/ˌlʌləˈbaɪ/

/ˈlʌləbaɪ/

Other forms: lullabies; lullabied

If anyone has ever sung a song to you before bedtime, trying to lull you to sleep, you can call that song a lullaby. Lullabies are usually soft and soothing tunes — more like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" than AC/DC's "Back in Black."

Many lullabies are folk tunes, and most of them are simple melodies with repetitive lyrics. You might be familiar with lullabies like "Hush, Little Baby," "Rockabye Baby," and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," all of which have been sung for generations to sleepy children by their parents, grandparents, and babysitters. The word lullaby comes from the Middle English lullen, "to lull or soothe," and bye, as in "bye bye."

Definitions of lullaby

1. noun

   a quiet song intended to lull a child to sleep
   synonyms: berceuse, cradlesong

   type of:

   song, vocal

   a short musical composition with words
2. noun

   the act of singing a quiet song to lull a child to sleep
   synonyms: cradlesong

   type of:

   song, strain

   the act of singing