Definition of "berceuse" []

• A lullaby. (noun)
• A soothing musical composition, usually in 6/8 time. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Lullabies written by established classical composers are often given the form-name berceuse, which is French for lullaby, or cradle song."
• "Amsterdam Art "Kiefer & Rembrandt" displays "La berceuse for Van Gogh," an artwork created by the German artist Anselm Kiefer, inspired by Rembrandt's "The Night Watch," alongside photographs of Kiefer by Anton Corbijn."
• "Now, with the blunderbuss business behind him, he turned his mind to several other unusual occurrences in the past few hours, not the least of which was why he had arrived back at the Bijou Theater humming a Chopin berceuse."