▪ I. ‖ lisse, n.1
(liːs)
[F. lisse smooth (in crêpe lisse smooth crape).]
A kind of silk gauze.
| 1852 Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. xiii. 113 The snowy lisse crape cap. 1864 Daily Tel. 11 Mar., A long white crape lisse veil. 1879 Mrs. A. G. F. E. James Ind. Househ. Managem. 18 Lisse, if you go to a hot station [in India], would be almost useless. 1884 Cassell's Fam. Mag. Feb. 184/2 Edge it with lace plaiting or lisse frilling. |
▪ II. ‖ lisse, n.2 Weaving.
(liːs)
[a. F. lisse, lice (cf. with quot. F. haute lice).]
= lease n.4 2, 3. Also see quots. 1878, 1885.
| 1782 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 2) IX. 6711/1 [Parts of a ribbon-loom] 6 The high-lisses, or lists, are a number of long threads, with platines, or plate-leads, at the bottom [etc.]. 1878 De Champeaux Tapestry Introd., [Explains the ‘lisses’ to be the two cylinders of which the loom consists]. 1885 E. Müntz Tapestry xvi. 358 Rings of small cord called ‘lices’ or ‘lisses’, are fastened to each thread of the front cloth. |
▪ III. † lisse, v. Obs. (? exc. Sc.)
Also 4 les, 4–5 lis, lys, 4–6 lysse.
[OE. l{iacu}ssian:—pre-Eng. *linþisôjan, f. *linþjo- soft, mild: see lithe a.]
1. trans. To subdue (only OE.); to mitigate, assuage, relieve (pain, etc.).
| a 1000 Sal. & Sat. 294 (Gr.) Yldo beoþ on eorþan æᵹhwæs cræftiᵹ..lisseþ [? for lissað] eal ðæt heo wile. c 1320 R. Brunne Medit. 702, Y prey þe sumdele hys peyne þou lys. c 1350 Will. Palerne 848 Forto lissen his langour. c 1470 Golagros & Gaw. 173 Hym likis in land your langour to lis. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 113 Such compositiones as stanche or lysse ake. |
2. To relieve (of pain, etc.); to comfort.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 702 Lat vs lyssen wo with oþer speche. Ibid. i. 1082 Troylus..is somdel of akynge of his wounde Ilyssed. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxviii. (Adrian) 117 As for to les þame of þar payne. c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 442 In hope for to been lissed of his care. c 1440 Pol. Rel. & L. Poems 245/45 This leche lyssyd me, lazars. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 31 Son, open thyn hert for peraventure y cowd the lis. c 1470 Harding Chron. xciv. ii, In water [he] was cast, his fleshe to keele and lisse. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 352 b/1 That..they may be eased and lyssed of theyr paynes. |
3. intr. To abate, cease, stop; to be relieved of.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 3758 Than of my peyne I gan to lisse. Ibid. 4128, I trowe my peyne shall never lisse. 1825–80 Jamieson, To Liss, to cease, to stop. It never lisses, it never ceases, Roxb. |
Hence † ˈlissing vbl. n.
| ? a 1412 Lydg. Two Merchants 641 Which in to lissyng his langour did leede. |