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lisp

(lĭsp)

1. A speech defect or mannerism characterized by mispronunciation of the sounds (s) and (z) as (th) and (th).

2. A sound of or like a lisp: "The carpenter['s] ... plane whistles its wild ascending lisp" (Walt Whitman).

v. lisped, lisp·ing, lisps

v.intr.

1. To speak with a lisp.

2. To speak imperfectly, as a child does.

v.tr.

To pronounce with a lisp.

[From Middle English lispen, to lisp, from Old English -wlyspian (in āwlyspian, to lisp), from wlisp, lisping.]

lisper n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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