hushaby means hush and be still; a lull to sleep. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why “hushaby” is a great word
HUSHABY — [Interjection] A soothing imperative used to lull a child to sleep, meaning ‘hush and be still.’ It is a blend of the imperative ‘hush’ and ‘lullaby’ or, more precisely, ‘hush’ + the connective interfix ‘-a-’ + ‘by’ (as in ‘bye-bye’), first recorded in use 1790–1800. Unlike “lullaby,” which denotes a formal, melodic song, or “silence,” a stark, general command, *hushaby* is the whispered act itself—a verbal cradle. It is the breath against a tiny ear, the rhythmic sway of a rocking chair, the gentle pressure of a hand on a restless back—a small, tender spell cast against the vast, waking world.
Etymology
Blend of hush + lullaby or hush + -a- (connective interfix) + by (“goodbye, as in bye-bye”).
intj
- hush and be still; a lull to sleep“Hush-a-by, baby, upon the tree-top; / When the wind blows the cradle will rock; / When the bough breaks the cradle will fall; / Down will come cradle and baby and all.”
noun
- A lullaby used to soothe babies to sleep.“The moaning of their voices seemed to me to be like what is understood in Scotland by a "sugh," and might very well have passed for a hushaby, when the nurse had nearly succeeded in murmuring herself to sleep, as well as her infant.”
verb
- To lull to sleep by saying "hushaby".