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Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th
lull
lull [lull lulls lulled lulling] noun, verb BrE [lʌl] NAmE [lʌl] noun usually singular ~ (in sth) a quiet period between times of activity •a lull in the conversation/fighting •Just before an attack everything would go quiet but we knew it was just the lull before the storm (= before a time of noise or trouble). Word Origin: Middle English: imitative of sounds used to quieten a child; compare with Latin lallare ‘sing to sleep’, Swedish lulla ‘hum a lullaby’, and Dutch lullen ‘talk nonsense’. The noun (first recorded in the sense ‘soothing drink’) dates from the mid 17th cent. Example Bank: •They crossed the road during a lull in the traffic. •a brief lull in the fighting •Just before an attack everything would go quiet, but we knew it was just the lull before the storm. •There was a lull in the conversation. •There will probably be a lull over the winter, followed by a resurgence of activity next spring. Derived: ↑lull somebody into something verb 1. transitive ~ sb to make sb relaxed and calm Syn: ↑soothe •The vibration of the engine lulled the children to sleep. •He was lulled by the peaceful sound of the rain. 2. transitive, intransitive ~ (sth) to make sth, or to become, less strong •His father's arrival lulled the boy's anxiety. Verb forms: Word Origin: Middle English: imitative of sounds used to quieten a child; compare with Latin lallare ‘sing to sleep’, Swedish lulla ‘hum a lullaby’, and Dutch lullen ‘talk nonsense’. The noun (first recorded in the sense ‘soothing drink’) dates from the mid 17th cent. Example Bank: •Experienced drivers can be lulled into a false sense of security. •He lulled me into believing that I could trust him. •She lulled the baby back to sleep.
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