croon
/kɹun/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.20 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
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.
Transitive verb
verb
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.
Intransitive verb
verb
To make a continuous hollow low-pitched moan, as of cattle; to bellow, to low.
Intransitive verb
noun
A soft, low-pitched sound; specifically, a soft or sentimental hum, song, or tune.
noun
A continuous hollow low-pitched moan, as of cattle; a bellow.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "[A]ny other woman would have been melted to marrow at hearing such stanzas crooned in her praise."
- "Thou croonest thy wild death-song o'er the world; / Serene Futurity thou dost conceal; / Thy banner is the shroud, the pall unfurled / Above mankind; […]"
- "By the light of the silvery moon, / I want to spoon, / To my honey I'll croon love's tune, […]"
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”)
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *gerh₂-, croon, cronen, crônen, chrônan, *kraunijan
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /kɹun/
- British English: /kɹuːn/
Usage
Inflected Forms
croons (present, singular)
crooning (participle, present)
crooned (participle, past)
crooned (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
crooned (first person, past)
croonest (archaic, present)
crooned (past, second person)
croonedst (archaic, past)
crooneth (archaic, present)
crooned (past, singular)