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croon

verb
/kɹuːn/UK/kɹun/US/krøn/

Etymology

The verb is borrowed from Scots croon (“to utter a deep, long-drawn-out sound; to utter a lament, mourn; to sing in a wailing voice, whimper, whine; to mutter or sing in an undertone, hum”) [and other forms], from Middle English cronen (“to sing or speak softly, hum, croon”) (croyn (Scotland)) [and other forms], probably from Middle Dutch crônen, krônen (“to groan, moan; to lament”) (modern Dutch kreunen (“to moan”)), or Old High German chrônan, krônen (“to babble, prattle; to chatter”), probably from Proto-West Germanic *kraunijan, from Proto-Indo-European *gerH- (“to cry hoarsely”). The noun is partly: * borrowed from Scots croon (“a lament, wail; mournful song; low murmuring tune; (obsolete) long-drawn-out sound”), from croon (verb): see above; and * derived from the verb. Cognates * Middle Dutch krônen (modern Dutch kreunen (“to groan, moan; to lament”)) * Middle Low German kroenen (“to babble, prattle; to chatter”), kronen (“to growl; to grumble; to scold”) * Old High German chrônan, chrônnan (“to babble, prattle; to chatter”) * Saterland Frisian krȫnen (“to cause to weep”)

  1. borrowed from croon — “a lament, wail; mournful song; low murmuring tune; (obsolete) long-drawn-out sound”
  2. derived from *gerh₂-✻
  3. derived from *kraunijan✻
  4. derived from chrônan
  5. derived from crônen
  6. derived from cronen — “to sing or speak softly, hum, croon”
  7. borrowed from croon — “to utter a deep, long-drawn-out sound; to utter a lament, mourn; to sing in a wailing voice, whimper, whine; to mutter or sing in an undertone, hum”

Definitions

  1. To hum or sing (a song or tune), or to speak (words), softly in a low pitch or in a…

    To hum or sing (a song or tune), or to speak (words), softly in a low pitch or in a sentimental manner; specifically, to sing (a popular song) in a low, mellow voice.

    • He was crooning a song.
    • Tam ſkelpit on thro' dub and mire, / Deſpiſing vvind, and rain, and fire; / VVhiles holding faſt his gude blue bonnet; / VVhiles crooning o'er ſome auld Scots ſonnet; […]
    • So they went, toiling up [the staircase]; she singing all the way, and Paul sometimes crooning out a feeble accompaniment.

  2. To soothe (a person or an animal) by singing softly.

    • [I]n his ill-remembered prayer, and in the fragment of the childish hymn with which he sung and crooned himself asleep, there breathed as true a spirit as ever studied homily expressed, or old cathedral arches echoed.
    • “But, you know, crooners gonna croon.”

  3. To hum or sing, or to speak, softly in a low pitch or in a sentimental manner

    To hum or sing, or to speak, softly in a low pitch or in a sentimental manner; specifically, to sing a popular song in a low, mellow voice.

    • She was crooning, but I couldn’t make out what the song was.
    • "You, my sweet boy," she croons. "How much you still owe me?" […] "Be happy I ain't charging interest like how the man and all his bug-a-boos do," she croons on. "Just gimme a twenty. You got a dub or not?"
  4. ›+ 6 more definitions

    1. To lament, to moan.

    2. To make a continuous hollow low-pitched moan, as of cattle

      To make a continuous hollow low-pitched moan, as of cattle; to bellow, to low.

      • Novv Clinkumbell, vvi' rattlin tovv, / Begins to jovv an' croon; […]
      • Even the dull cattle crooned and gazed, / And murmured and looked with anxious pain / For something the mystery to explain.
      • 'Thou hear'st that lordly Bull of mine, / Neighbour,' quoth Brunskill then; / 'How loudly to the hills he crunes, / That crune to him again.[']

    3. Of a large bell

      Of a large bell: to make a low-pitched sound.

    4. A soft, low-pitched sound

      A soft, low-pitched sound; specifically, a soft or sentimental hum, song, or tune.

      • O, a’ ye Bards on bonie Doon! / An’ vvha on Ayr your chanters tune! / Come, join the melancholious croon / O’ Robin’s reed! / His heart vvill never get aboon! / His Mailie’s dead!
      • Bitterly she cried as she thought over the old hag's croon:— / "Quick joy, long pain, / You will take your gift again."
      • From away out in the darkness came a haunting croon from the lubras and children.

    5. A continuous hollow low-pitched moan, as of cattle

      A continuous hollow low-pitched moan, as of cattle; a bellow.

      • Amang the brachens, on the brae, / Betvveen her an' the moon, / The Deil, or elſe an outler Quey, / Gat up an' gae a croon: […]
      • The bittern mounts the morning air; / And rings the sky with quavering croon; […]

    6. The low-pitched sound of a large bell.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for croon. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA