different between lull vs amuse

English

Etymology

From Middle English lullen, lollen. Originally, perhaps expressive in origin from la-la-la or lu-lu-lu sounds made in calming a child.

Cognate with Scots lul, lule, loll (“to lull, put to sleep, howl, caterwaul”), Dutch lollen (“to sing badly, caterwaul”), Dutch lullen (“to chatter, prate, cheat, deceive”), Low German lullen (“to lull”), German lullen (“to lull”), Danish lulle (“to lull, sing to sleep”), Swedish lulla (“to lull”), Icelandic lulla (“to lull”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l?l/
• Rhymes: -?l

Noun

lull (plural lulls)

1. A period of rest or soothing.
2. A period of reduced activity; a respite
3. (nautical) A period without waves or wind.
   • 1839, The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1839, p. 26:

     […] during the lull, wind shifted to S. E. […]

   • 1875, W. G. Wilson, Report of the Midnapore and Burdwan Cyclone of the 15th and 16th of October 1874, p. 74:

     After the lull the wind does not appear to have blown with any great strength […]

   • 2016, David Houghton and Fiona Campbell, Wind Strategy, not paginated

     The air under each cloud has spent time near the surface, has been slowed and backed by friction—it is a lull.

4. (surfing) An extended pause between sets of waves.
   • 1992, John Warlaumont, The Noaa Diving Manual, p. 19-19

     It is advisable to leave the surf zone during the lull between sets of larger waves, waiting outside the surf zone for a lull.

   • 808surfer.com forum (password needed)

     About 2 hours in, a long lull cleared everyone out, and then it started getting a little more consistent and pushing chest ta neck high.

Translations

Verb

lull (third-person singular simple present lulls, present participle lulling, simple past and past participle lulled)

1. (transitive) To cause to rest by soothing influences; to compose; to calm

   Synonyms: soothe, quiet
2. (intransitive) To become gradually calm; to subside; to cease or abate.

   The storm lulled.

Derived terms

• belull
• lullful
• lullsome

Synonyms

• (To cause to rest): appease

Translations

English

Etymology

From Late Middle English *amusen (“to mutter, be astonished, gaze meditatively on”), from Old French amuser (“to stupefy, waste time, be lost in thought”), from a- + muser (“to stare stupidly at, gape, wander, waste time, loiter, think carefully about, attend to”), of uncertain and obscure origin. Cognate with Occitan musa (“idle waiting”), Italian musare (“to gape idly about”). Possibly from Old French *mus (“snout”) from Vulgar Latin *m?sa (“snout”)  — compare Medieval Latin m?sum (“muzzle, snout”) –, from Proto-Germanic *m?- (“muzzle, snout”), from Proto-Indo-European *m?- (“lips, muzzle”). Compare North Frisian müs, mös (“mouth”), German Maul (“muzzle, snout”).

Alternative etymology connects muser and musa with Frankish *muoza (“careful attention, leisure, idleness”), from Proto-Germanic *m?t? (“leave, permission”), from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to acquire, possess, control”).This would make it a cognate of Dutch musen (“to leisure”), Old High German *muoza (“careful attention, leisure, idleness”) and muoz?n (“to be idle, have leisure or opportunity”), German Muße (“leisure”). More at empty.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??mju?z/
• Rhymes: -u?z

Verb

amuse (third-person singular simple present amuses, present participle amusing, simple past and past participle amused)

1. (transitive) To entertain or occupy (someone or something) in a pleasant manner; to stir (an individual) with pleasing emotions.
   • 1786, William Gilpin, Observations, relative chiefly to picturesque beauty, made in the year 1772, on several parts of England; particularly the mountains, and lakes of Cumberland, and Westmoreland

     A group of children amusing themselves with pushing stones from the top [of the cliff], and watching as they plunged into the lake.

2. To cause laughter or amusement; to be funny.

3. (transitive, archaic) To keep in expectation; to beguile; to delude.
4. (transitive, archaic) To occupy or engage the attention of; to lose in deep thought; to absorb; also, to distract; to bewilder.
   • 1600, Philemon Holland, The Romane Historie

     the enemies were amused on the fires that our men made

   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, Church History of England

     Being amused with grief, fear, and fright, he could not find the house.

Synonyms

• entertain, gratify, please, divert, beguile, exhilarate

Derived terms

• amusement

Translations

References

• amuse in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• musea

Dutch

Etymology

Clipping of amuse-bouche or amuse-gueule.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?a??my?.z?/, /?a??my.z?/
• Hyphenation: amu?se

Noun

amuse m (plural amuses)

1. appetiser, hors d'oeuvre

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.myz/
• Homophones: amuses, amusent

Verb

amuse

1. first-person singular present indicative of amuser
2. third-person singular present indicative of amuser
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of amuser
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of amuser
5. second-person singular imperative of amuser