lapse

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

lapse, n. [L. lapsus, fr. labi, p. p. lapsus, to slide, to fall: cf. F. laps. See Sleep.].

•  A gliding, slipping, or gradual falling; an unobserved or imperceptible progress or passing away,; -- restricted usually to immaterial things, or to figurative uses.  [1913 Webster]

  "The lapse to indolence is soft and imperceptible."  [1913 Webster]

  "Bacon was content to wait the lapse of long centuries for his expected revenue of fame."  [1913 Webster]
•  A slip; an error; a fault; a failing in duty; a slight deviation from truth or rectitude.  [1913 Webster]

  "To guard against those lapses and failings to which our infirmities daily expose us."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  A fall or apostasy.  [1913 Webster]

lapse, v. i. 

•  To pass slowly and smoothly downward, backward, or away; to slip downward, backward, or away; to glide; -- mostly restricted to figurative uses.  [1913 Webster]

  "A tendency to lapse into the barbarity of those northern nations from whom we are descended."  [1913 Webster]

  "Homer, in his characters of Vulcan and Thersites, has lapsed into the burlesque character."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "To lapse in fullness
  Is sorer than to lie for need."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "If the archbishop shall not fill it up within six months ensuing, it lapses to the king."  [1913 Webster]

lapse, v. t. 

•  To let slip; to permit to devolve on another; to allow to pass.  [1913 Webster]

  "An appeal may be deserted by the appellant's lapsing the term of law."  [1913 Webster]
•  To surprise in a fault or error; hence, to surprise or catch, as an offender.  [1913 Webster]

  "For which, if be lapsed in this place,
  I shall pay dear."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

lapse, 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.

Idiom

lapse rate Meteorol. the rate at which the temperature falls with increasing altitude.

Derivative

lapser n.

Etymology

L lapsus f. labi laps- glide, slip, fall

THESAURUS

lapse

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

ROGET THESAURUS

lapse

Deterioration

VB be worse, be deteriorated, become worse, become deteriorated Adj, have seen better days, deteriorate, degenerate, fall off, wane, ebb, retrograde, decline, droop, go down, go downhill, go from bad to worse, go farther and fare worse, jump out of the frying pan into the fire, run to seed, go to seed, run to waste swale, sweal, lapse, be the worse for, sphacelate: break, break down, spring a leak, crack, start, shrivel, fade, go off, wither, molder, rot, rankle, decay, go bad, go to decay, fall into decay, fall into the sear and yellow leaf, rust, crumble, shake, totter, totter to its fall, perish, die, deteriorate, weaken, put back, set back, taint, infect, contaminate, poison, empoison, envenom, canker, corrupt, exulcerate, pollute, vitiate, inquinate, debase, embase, denaturalize, denature, leaven, deflower, debauch, defile, deprave, degrade, ulcerate, stain, discolor, alloy, adulterate, sophisticate, tamper with, prejudice, pervert, prostitute, demoralize, brutalize, render vicious, embitter, acerbate, exacerbate, aggravate, injure, impair, labefy, damage, harm, hurt, shend, scath, scathe, spoil, mar, despoil, dilapidate, waste, overrun, ravage, pillage, wound, stab, pierce, maim, lame, surbate, cripple, hough, hamstring, hit between wind and water, scotch, mangle, mutilate, disfigure, blemish, deface, warp, blight, rot, corrode, erode, wear away, wear out, gnaw, gnaw at the root of, sap, mine, undermine, shake, sap the foundations of, break up, disorganize, dismantle, dismast, destroy, damnify, do one's worst, knock down, deal a blow to, play havoc with, play sad havoc with, play the mischief with, play the deuce with, play the very devil with, play havoc among, play sad havoc among, play the mischief among, play the deuce among, play the very devil among, decimate.

N deterioration, debasement, wane, ebb, recession, retrogradation, decrease, degeneracy, degeneration, degenerateness, degradation, depravation, depravement, devolution, depravity, demoralization, retrogression, masochism, impairment, inquination, injury, damage, loss, detriment, delaceration, outrage, havoc, inroad, ravage, scath, perversion, prostitution, vitiation, discoloration, oxidation, pollution, defoedation, poisoning, venenation, leaven, contamination, canker, corruption, adulteration, alloy, decline, declension, declination, decadence, decadency, falling off, caducity, decrepitude, decay, dilapidation, ravages of time, wear and tear, corrosion, erosion, moldiness, rottenness, moth and rust, dry rot, blight, marasmus, atrophy, collapse, disorganization, delabrement (destruction), aphid, Aphis, plant louse, puceron, vinefretter, vinegrub, wreck, mere wreck, honeycomb, magni nominis umbra, jade, plug, rackabones, skate, tackey, tacky, have seen better days, deteriorate, degenerate, fall off, wane, ebb, retrograde, decline, droop, go down, go downhill, go from bad to worse, go farther and fare worse, jump out of the frying pan into the fire, run to seed, go to seed, run to waste swale, sweal, lapse, be the worse for, sphacelate: break, break down, spring a leak, crack, start, shrivel, fade, go off, wither, molder, rot, rankle, decay, go bad, go to decay, fall into decay, fall into the sear and yellow leaf, rust, crumble, shake, totter, totter to its fall, perish, die, deteriorate, weaken, put back, set back, taint, infect, contaminate, poison, empoison, envenom, canker, corrupt, exulcerate, pollute, vitiate, inquinate, debase, embase, denaturalize, denature, leaven, deflower, debauch, defile, deprave, degrade, ulcerate, stain, discolor, alloy, adulterate, sophisticate, tamper with, prejudice, pervert, prostitute, demoralize, brutalize, render vicious, embitter, acerbate, exacerbate, aggravate, injure, impair, labefy, damage, harm, hurt, shend, scath, scathe, spoil, mar, despoil, dilapidate, waste, overrun, ravage, pillage, wound, stab, pierce, maim, lame, surbate, cripple, hough, hamstring, hit between wind and water, scotch, mangle, mutilate, disfigure, blemish, deface, warp, blight, rot, corrode, erode, wear away, wear out, gnaw, gnaw at the root of, sap, mine, undermine, shake, sap the foundations of, break up, disorganize, dismantle, dismast, destroy, damnify, do one's worst, knock down, deal a blow to, play havoc with, play sad havoc with, play the mischief with, play the deuce with, play the very devil with, play havoc among, play sad havoc among, play the mischief among, play the deuce among, play the very devil among, decimate, Adj, unimproved &c (improve), deteriorated, altered, altered for the worse, injured, sprung, withering, spoiling, on the wane, on the decline, tabid, degenerate, marescent, worse, the worse for, all the worse for, out of repair, out of tune, imperfect, the worse for wear, battered, weathered, weather-beaten, stale, passe, shaken, dilapidated, frayed, faded, wilted, shabby, secondhand, threadbare, worn, worn to a thread, worn to a shadow, worn to the stump, worn to rags, reduced, reduced to a skeleton, far gone, tacky, decayed, moth-eaten, worm-eaten, mildewed, rusty, moldy, spotted, seedy, time-worn, moss-grown, discolored, effete, wasted, crumbling, moldering, rotten, cankered, blighted, tainted, depraved, decrepid, decrepit, broke, busted, broken, out of commission, hors de combat, out of action, broken down, done, done for, done up, worn out, used up, finished, beyond saving, fit for the dust hole, fit for the wastepaper basket, past work, at a low ebb, in a bad way, on one's last legs, undermined, deciduous, nodding to its fall, tottering, past cure, fatigued, retrograde, deleterious, out of the frying pan into the fire, agrescit medendo, what a falling off was there!.

Relapse

N relapse, lapse, falling back, retrogradation, deterioration, backsliding, recidivation, recidivism, recidivity, recrudescence.

VB relapse, lapse, fall back, slide back, sink back, return, retrograde, recidivate, fall off again.

Course

VB elapse, lapse, flow, run, proceed, advance, pass, roll on, wear on, press on, flit, fly, slip, slide, glide, run its course, run out, expire, go by, pass by, be past.

Loss

N loss, deperdition, perdition, forfeiture, lapse, privation, bereavement, deprivation, riddance, damage, squandering, waste, losing, not having, shorn of, deprived of, denuded, bereaved, bereft, minus, cut off, dispossessed, rid of, quit of, out of pocket, lost, long lost, irretrievable, off one's hands, Int, farewell to!, adieu to.

VB lose, incur a loss, experience a loss, meet with a loss, miss, mislay, let slip, allow to slip through the fingers, be without, forfeit, get rid of, waste, be lost, lapse.

The Past

VB be past, have expired, have run its course, have had its day, pass, pass by, go by, pass away, go away, pass off, go off, lapse, blow over, look back, trace back, cast the eyes back, exhume.

Conversion

N conversion, reduction, transmutation, resolution, assimilation, evolution, sea change, change of state, assumption, naturalization, transportation, development, developing, conversion of currency, exchange of currency, exchange rate, bureau de change, chemistry, alchemy, progress, growth, lapse, flux, passage, transit, transition, transmigration, shifting, phase, conjugation, convertibility, crucible, alembic, caldron, retort, convert, pervert, renegade, apostate, converted into, convertible, resolvable into, transitional, naturalized, gradually, &c (slowly) 275 in transitu.

VB be converted into, become, get, wax, come to, turn to, turn into, evolve into, develop into, turn out, lapse, shift, run into, fall into, pass into, slide into, glide into, grow into, ripen into, open into, resolve itself into, settle into, merge into, emerge as, melt, grow, come round to, mature, mellow, assume the form of, assume the shape of, assume the state of, assume the nature of, assume the character of, illapse, begin a new phase, assume a new phase, undergo a change, convert into, resolve into, make, render, mold, form, remodel, new model, refound, reform, reorganize, assimilate to, bring to, reduce to.

Vice

VB be vicious, sin, commit sin, do amiss, err, transgress, misdemean oneself, forget oneself, misconduct oneself, misdo, misbehave, fall, lapse, slip, trip, offend, trespass, deviate from the line of duty, deviate from the path of virtue, take a wrong course, go astray, hug a sin, hug a fault, sow one's wild oats, render vicious, demoralize, brutalize, corrupt.

Guilt

N guilt, guiltiness, culpability, criminality, criminousness, deviation from rectitude, sinfulness, misconduct, misbehavior, misdoing, misdeed, malpractice, fault, sin, error, transgression, dereliction, delinquency, indiscretion, lapse, slip, trip, faux pas, peccadillo, flaw, blot, omission, failing, failure, break, bad break!, capital crime, delictum, offense, trespass, misdemeanor, misfeasance, misprision, malefaction, malfeasance, malversation, crime, felony, enormity, atrocity, outrage, deadly sin, mortal sin, deed without a name, corpus delicti, guilty, to blame, culpable, peccable, in fault, at fault, censurable, reprehensible, blameworthy, uncommendable, illaudable, weighed in the balance and found wanting, exceptionable, in flagrante delicto, red-handed, in the very act, with one's hand in the cookie jar, cui prodest scelus in fecit, culpam paena premit comes, O would the deed were good!, responsibility prevents crimes se judice nemo noce, so many laws argues so many sins.

Descent

N descent, descension, declension, declination, fall, falling, slump, drop, plunge, plummet, cadence, subsidence, collapse, lapse, downfall, tumble, slip, tilt, trip, lurch, cropper, culbute, titubation, stumble, fate of Icarus, avalanche, debacle, landslip, landslide, declivity, dip, hill, rappel, descending, descendent, decurrent, decursive, labent, deciduous, nodding to its fall, downhill, downwards, the bottom fell out.