lisp

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

lisp, v. i. [OE. lispen, lipsen, AS. wlisp stammering, lisping; akin to D. & OHG. lispen to lisp, G. lispeln, Sw. läspa, Dan. lespe.].

•  To pronounce the sibilant letter s imperfectly; to give s and z the sound of th; -- a defect common among children.  [1913 Webster]
•  To speak with imperfect articulation; to mispronounce, as a child learning to talk.  [1913 Webster]

  "As yet a child, nor yet a fool to fame,
  I lisped in numbers, for the numbers came."  [1913 Webster]
•  To speak hesitatingly with a low voice, as if afraid.  [1913 Webster]

  "Lest when my lisping, guilty tongue should halt."  [1913 Webster]

lisp, v. t. 

•  To pronounce with a lisp.  [1913 Webster]
•  To utter with imperfect articulation; to express with words pronounced imperfectly or indistinctly, as a child speaks; hence, to express by the use of simple, childlike language.  [1913 Webster]

  "To speak unto them after their own capacity, and to lisp the words unto them according as the babes and children of that age might sound them again."  [1913 Webster]
•  To speak with reserve or concealment; to utter timidly or confidentially; as, to lisp treason.  [1913 Webster]

lisp, n. 

 The habit or act of lisping. See Lisp, v. i., 1.  [1913 Webster]
"I overheard her answer, with a very pretty lisp, “O! Strephon, you are a dangerous creature.”"  Tatler.  [1913 Webster]

lisp, n. [List Processing.].

 a high-level computer programming language in which statements and data are in the form of lists, enclosed in parentheses; -- used especially for rapid development of prototype programs in artificial intelligence applications .  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

lisp, n. & v.
--n.
1 a speech defect in which s is pronounced like th in thick and z is pronounced like th in this.
2 a rippling of waters; a rustling of leaves.
--v.intr. & tr. speak or utter with a lisp.

Derivative

lisper n. lispingly adv.

Etymology

OE wlispian (recorded in awlyspian) f. wlisp (adj.) lisping, of uncert. orig.

THESAURUS

lisp

aphonia, artificial voice, assibilate, assibilation, broken speech, broken tones, broken voice, buzz, childish treble, choked voice, cracked voice, croak, crow, drawl, dysarthria, dyslalia, dyslogia, dysphasia, dysphonia, dysphrasia, effervesce, effervescence, effervescing, falsetto, fizz, fizzle, fizzling, frication, frictional rustling, harshness, hawking voice, hiss, hissing, hoarseness, hush, hushing, idioglossia, idiolalia, impairment of speech, lisping, loss of voice, mince, muzzy speech, nasal tone, nasalization, quaver, rhonchus, shake, shush, shushing, sibilance, sibilate, sibilation, siffle, sigmatism, siss, sissing, sizz, sizzle, sizzling, sneeze, sneezing, sniff, sniffle, snore, snort, snuff, snuffle, speech defect, speech impediment, spit, splutter, sputter, squash, squelch, squish, sternutation, stertor, swish, talk incoherently, tremor, twang, wheeze, whish, whistle, whistling, white noise, whiz, whoosh, zip

ROGET THESAURUS

lisp

Stammering

N stammering, inarticulateness, stammering, hesitation, impediment in one's speech, titubancy, traulism, whisper, lisp, drawl, tardiloquence, nasal tone, nasal accent, twang, falsetto, broken voice, broken accents, broken sentences, brogue, slip of the tongue, lapsus linouae, stammering, inarticulate, guttural, nasal, tremulous, affected, sotto voce.

VB stammer, stutter, hesitate, falter, hammer, balbutiate, balbucinate, haw, hum and haw, be unable to put two words together, mumble, mutter, maud, mauder, whisper, mince, lisp, jabber, gibber, sputter, splutter, muffle, mump, drawl, mouth, croak, speak thick, speak through the nose, snuffle, clip one's words, murder the language, murder the King's English, murder the Queen's English, mispronounce, missay.