different between silence vs lull

English

Etymology

From Middle English silence, from Old French silence, from Latin silentium (“silence”). Displaced native Old English sw??e.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /?sa?.l?ns/
• Rhymes: -a?l?ns

Noun

silence (usually uncountable, plural silences)

1. The absence of any sound.
2. The act of refraining from speaking.
   • D. Webster

     The administration itself keeps a profound silence.

3. Form of meditative worship practiced by the Society of Friends (Quakers); meeting for worship.

Synonyms

• quietness

Derived terms

Related terms

• silent

Translations

Verb

silence (third-person singular simple present silences, present participle silencing, simple past and past participle silenced)

1. (transitive) To make (someone or something) silent.

   Synonym: mute

2. (transitive) To repress the expression of something.

3. (transitive) To suppress criticism, etc.
4. (molecular biology) To block gene expression.
5. (euphemistic) To murder.

Derived terms

• silencer

Translations

See also

• quiet, noise, loud, deaf, audible.

Interjection

silence

1. (imperative) Be silent.

   Silence! Enough of your insolence!

Synonyms

• be quiet
• hush
• whist

Translations

Anagrams

• license, selenic

French

Etymology

Latin silentium (“silence”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si.l??s/
• Homophone: silences

Noun

silence m (plural silences)

1. silence

Antonyms

• bruit
• cacophonie
• mélodie
• musique

Derived terms

• le silence est d'or
• minute de silence
• passer sous silence
• porte-silence
• réduire au silence
• silence, moteur, action
• silencieusement
• silencieux

Further reading

• “silence” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Ido

Etymology

silenco (“silence”) +? -e (indicates an adverb).

Adverb

silence

1. noiselessly, silently, quietly

Related terms

• silencoza

Middle English

Alternative forms

• scilence, scylence, scilense, silens, sylence, scielence, cilence

Etymology

From Old French silence, from Latin silentium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si??l?ns(?)/, /si?l?ns(?)/

Noun

silence (uncountable)

1. Silence; the state of refraining or refusing to speak.
2. Peace, calm; a state of tranquil and restful behaviour.
3. Quietness; a lack of sound or speaking (for a given area or time).
4. Refraining from excessive speaking or talking.
5. The following of a religious vow of silence.
6. (rare) The termination of a dispute or conflict.
7. (rare) Secrecy or freedom from disruption.

Descendants

• English: silence
• Scots: seelence

References

• “s??lence, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-11-03.

Middle French

Noun

silence f (plural silences)

1. silence (absence of noise)

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