Adjacent Words

Lapse definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LAPSE, n. laps. [L. lapsus, from labor, to slide, to fall.]
1. A sliding, gliding or flowing; a smooth course; as the lapse of a stream; the lapse of time.
2. A falling or passing.
The lapse to indolence is soft and imperceptible, but the return to diligence is difficult.
3. A slip an error; a fault; a failing in duty; a slight deviation from truth or rectitude.
This Scripture may be usefully applied as a caution to guard against those lapses and fallings to which our infirmities daily expose us.
So we say, a lapse in style or propriety.
4. In ecclesiastical law, the slip or omission of a patron to present a clerk to a benefice, within six months after it becomes void. In this case, the benefice is said to be lapsed, or in lapse.
5. In theology, the fall or apostasy of Adam.
LAPSE, v.i. laps.
1. To glide; to pass slowly, silently or by degrees.
This disposition to shorten our words by retrenching the vowels, is nothing else but a tendency to lapse into the barbarity of those northern nations from which we descended.
2. To slide or slip in moral conduct; to fail in duty; to deviate from rectitude; to commit a fault.
To lapse in fullness is sorer than to lie for need.
3. To slip or commit a fault by inadvertency or mistake.
Homer, in his characters of Vulcan and Thersites, has lapsed into the burlesque character.
4. To fall or pass from one proprietor to another, by the omission or negligence of the patron.
If the archbishop shall not fill it up within six months ensuing, it lapses to the king.
5. To fall from a state of innocence, or from truth, faith or perfection.
Once more I will renew his lapsed powers.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a mistake resulting from inattention [syn: oversight, lapse]
2: a break or intermission in the occurrence of something; "a lapse of three weeks between letters"
3: a failure to maintain a higher state [syn: backsliding, lapse, lapsing, relapse, relapsing, reversion, reverting] v
1: pass into a specified state or condition; "He sank into nirvana" [syn: sink, pass, lapse]
2: end, at least for a long time; "The correspondence lapsed"
3: drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards [syn: lapse, backslide]
4: go back to bad behavior; "Those who recidivate are often minor criminals" [syn: relapse, lapse, recidivate, regress, retrogress, fall back]
5: let slip; "He lapsed his membership"
6: pass by; "three years elapsed" [syn: elapse, lapse, pass, slip by, glide by, slip away, go by, slide by, go along]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Latin lapsus, from labi to slip — more at sleep Date: 1526 1. a. a slight error typically due to forgetfulness or inattention <a lapse in table manners> b. a temporary deviation or fall especially from a higher to a lower state <a lapse from grace> 2. a becoming less ; decline 3. a. (1) the termination of a right or privilege through neglect to exercise it within some limit of time (2) termination of coverage for nonpayment of premiums b. interruption, discontinuance <returned to college after a lapse of several years> 4. an abandonment of religious faith ; apostasy 5. a passage of time; also interval Synonyms: see error II. verb (lapsed; lapsing) Date: 1611 intransitive verb 1. a. to fall from an attained and usually high level (as of morals or manners) to one much lower; also to depart from an accepted pattern or standard b. sink, slip <lapsed into unconsciousness> 2. to go out of existence ; cease <after a few polite exchanges, the conversation lapsed> 3. to pass from one proprietor to another or from an original owner by omission or negligence <allowed the insurance policy to lapse> 4. to glide along ; pass <time lapses> transitive verb to let slip ; forfeit <all of those who have lapsed their membership — AAUP Bulletin> • lapser noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a slight error; a slip of memory etc. 2 a weak or careless decline into an inferior state. 3 (foll. by of) an interval or passage of time (after a lapse of three years). 4 Law the termination of a right or privilege through disuse or failure to follow appropriate procedures. --v.intr. 1 fail to maintain a position or standard. 2 (foll. by into) fall back into an inferior or previous state. 3 (of a right or privilege etc.) become invalid because it is not used or claimed or renewed. 4 (as lapsed adj.) (of a person or thing) that has lapsed. Phrases and idioms: lapse rate Meteorol. the rate at which the temperature falls with increasing altitude. Derivatives: lapser n. Etymology: L lapsus f. labi laps- glide, slip, fall

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lapse Lapse, n. [L. lapsus, fr. labi, p. p. lapsus, to slide, to fall: cf. F. laps. See Sleep.] 1. A gliding, slipping, or gradual falling; an unobserved or imperceptible progress or passing away,; -- restricted usually to immaterial things, or to figurative uses. The lapse to indolence is soft and imperceptible. --Rambler. Bacon was content to wait the lapse of long centuries for his expected revenue of fame. --I. Taylor. 2. A slip; an error; a fault; a failing in duty; a slight deviation from truth or rectitude. To guard against those lapses and failings to which our infirmities daily expose us. --Rogers. 3. (Law) The termination of a right or privilege through neglect to exercise it within the limited time, or through failure of some contingency; hence, the devolution of a right or privilege. 4. (Theol.) A fall or apostasy.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lapse Lapse, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Lapsed; p. pr. & vb. n. Lapsing.] 1. To pass slowly and smoothly downward, backward, or away; to slip downward, backward, or away; to glide; -- mostly restricted to figurative uses. A tendency to lapse into the barbarity of those northern nations from whom we are descended. --Swift. Homer, in his characters of Vulcan and Thersites, has lapsed into the burlesque character. --Addison. 2. To slide or slip in moral conduct; to fail in duty; to fall from virtue; to deviate from rectitude; to commit a fault by inadvertence or mistake. To lapse in fullness Is sorer than to lie for need. --Shak. 3. (Law) (a) To fall or pass from one proprietor to another, or from the original destination, by the omission, negligence, or failure of some one, as a patron, a legatee, etc. (b) To become ineffectual or void; to fall. If the archbishop shall not fill it up within six months ensuing, it lapses to the king. --Ayliffe.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lapse Lapse, v. t. 1. To let slip; to permit to devolve on another; to allow to pass. An appeal may be deserted by the appellant's lapsing the term of law. --Ayliffe. 2. To surprise in a fault or error; hence, to surprise or catch, as an offender. [Obs.] For which, if be lapsed in this place, I shall pay dear. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(lapses, lapsing, lapsed) 1. A lapse is a moment or instance of bad behaviour by someone who usually behaves well. On Friday he showed neither decency nor dignity. It was an uncommon lapse. N-COUNT: usu adj N, N in n 2. A lapse of something such as concentration or judgment is a temporary lack of that thing, which can often cause you to make a mistake. I had a little lapse of concentration in the middle of the race... The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse. N-COUNT: N of n, supp N 3. If you lapse into a quiet or inactive state, you stop talking or being active. She muttered something unintelligible and lapsed into silence... VERB: V into n 4. If someone lapses into a particular way of speaking, or behaving, they start speaking or behaving in that way, usually for a short period. Teenagers occasionally find it all too much to cope with and lapse into bad behaviour. = slip VERB: V into n • Lapse is also a noun. Her lapse into German didn't seem peculiar. After all, it was her native tongue. N-COUNT: usu N into n 5. A lapse of time is a period that is long enough for a situation to change or for people to have a different opinion about it. ...the restoration of diplomatic relations after a lapse of 24 years... There is usually a time lapse between receipt of new information and its publication. N-SING: usu N of n, supp N 6. If a period of time lapses, it passes. New products and production processes are transferred to the developing countries only after a substantial amount of time has lapsed. VERB: V 7. If a situation or legal contract lapses, it is allowed to end rather than being continued, renewed, or extended. Her membership of the Labour Party has lapsed... Ford allowed the name and trademark to lapse during the Eighties. VERB: V, V 8. If a member of a particular religion lapses, they stop believing in it or stop following its rules and practices. She calls herself a lapsed Catholic. VERB: V-ed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Flow, gliding, flowing, smooth course. 2. Fall, decline, declension, falling off. 3. Slip, fault, error, shortcoming, misstep, indiscretion. II. v. n. 1. Slip, glide, slide, sink, pass slowly. 2. Fail in duty, commit a fault, fall from innocence. 3. (Law.) Become void.

Moby Thesaurus

abeyance, about-face, advance, alchemy, apostasy, apostatize, assimilation, assumption, atavism, atheism, atrocity, backing, backset, backslide, backsliding, backward deviation, backward motion, backward step, balk, be all over, be caught napping, be gone, be neglectful, be negligent, be no more, be past, become extinct, become void, becoming, bevue, blooper, blow over, blunder, boner, breach, break, bull, bungle, cadence, caesura, catabasis, catenary, cave, cave in, cease, cease-fire, cessation, change, change-over, close, closing, cock, collapse, comedown, continue, conversion, crash, crime, crime against humanity, culpa, culpable negligence, day off, deadly sin, debasement, decadence, decadency, deceleration, declension, declination, decline, decline and fall, decrescendo, decurrence, default, deformation, degeneracy, degenerate, degenerateness, degeneration, degradation, delinquency, demotion, depravation, depravedness, depreciation, dereliction, derogation, descend, descent, desertion, deteriorate, deterioration, deviate, devolution, die, die away, diminish, diminuendo, diminution, disappear, disenchantment, disregard, dive, downtrend, downturn, downward mobility, downward trend, droop, drop, dwindling, dying, ebb, effeteness, elapse, end, endure, enormity, err, error, evil, expire, fade, fading, fail, failing, failure, failure of nerve, fall, fall again into, fall astern, fall away, fall back, fall behind, fall from grace, fall into error, fall off, falling back, falling-off, false move, false step, fault, felony, flip-flop, flit, flop, flop down, flow, flow on, fluff, flump, flump down, fly, foible, founder, frailty, gap, genocide, get behind, give way, glide, gloss over, go amiss, go astray, go awry, go backwards, go behind, go by, go down, go downhill, go off, go on, go out, go wrong, goof, growth, guilty act, have a relapse, have it, have its time, have run out, heavy sin, hesitation, hiatus, hit a slump, hit rock bottom, hit the skids, hold-up, holiday, homestretch, ignore, impiety, impiousness, impropriety, inadvertence, inadvertency, inattention, indiscretion, inexpiable sin, iniquity, injury, injustice, interim, interlude, intermezzo, intermission, intermittence, interruption, interval, involution, irreligion, irreverence, jerk back, laches, lacuna, laissez-faire, lapse back, lapse from grace, lapsus calami, lapsus linguae, last, last lap, last round, last stage, laxity, laxness, layoff, let go, let ride, let slide, let slip, letup, loose thread, looseness, lose ground, lose sight of, lose track of, loss of tone, lower, lowering, lull, malefaction, malfeasance, malum, minor wrong, miscalculate, miscue, misdeed, misdemeanor, misfeasance, misstep, mistake, mortal sin, naturalization, neglect, neglectfulness, negligence, nod, nonfeasance, noninterference, nonperformance, nonrestriction, not care for, not get involved, not heed, not think, offense, omission, outrage, overlook, overlooking, oversight, pass, pass away, pass by, pass over, passage, pause, peccadillo, peccancy, permissiveness, plop, plop down, plump, plunge, poor stewardship, press on, proceed, procrastination, progress, pull back, re-formation, reach the depths, reaction, recede, recess, recession, recidivate, recidivation, recidivism, reclamation, reconversion, recreancy, recrudescence, recur to, recurrence, reduction, reentry, refluence, reflux, regress, regression, rehabilitation, reinstatement, relapse, remission, remissness, renewal, resolution, respite, rest, restitution, restoration, retreat, retroaction, retrocede, retrocession, retroflex, retroflexion, retrogradation, retrograde, retrogress, retrogression, retroversion, retrovert, retrusion, return, return to, returning, reversal, reverse, reversion, revert, revert to, reverting, revulsion, roll on, rollback, run, run down, run its course, run on, run out, sag, set, setback, settle, settle down, shift, shortcoming, sin, sin of commission, sin of omission, sinful act, sink, sink back, sink down, sinkage, slackness, sleep, slide, slide back, slight, slip, slip away, slip back, slip up, slippage, slipping back, slipup, slouch, slowdown, slump, slump down, stand-down, stay, sternway, stop, stray, stumble, submerge, submergence, subside, subsidence, suspension, swag, switch, switch-over, take for granted, terminate, throwback, tort, touch bottom, transformation, transgression, transit, transition, trespass, trip, truce, turn, turnabout, turning into, undutifulness, unrigorousness, unutterable sin, vacation, venial sin, vice, violation, volte-face, wander, wane, wear away, wear off, wrong, wrong step, yield again to