lapse

[Lapse]

A lapse is a temporary slip, failure or break in continuity. Eating a second helping of cake when you're otherwise doing well on your diet is a lapse. Eating the whole cake in one sitting is a serious lapse in judgment.

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

Noun
a failure to maintain a higher state

Noun
a mistake resulting from inattention

Noun
a break or intermission in the occurrence of something; "a lapse of three weeks between letters"

Verb
go back to bad behavior; "Those who recidivate are often minor criminals"

Verb
drop to a lower level, as in one''s morals or standards

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Verb
end, at least for a long time; "The correspondence lapsed"

Verb
pass into a specified state or condition; "He sank into Nirvana"

Verb
pass by; "three years elapsed"

Verb
let slip; "He lapsed his membership"

n.
A gliding, slipping, or gradual falling; an unobserved or imperceptible progress or passing away,; -- restricted usually to immaterial things, or to figurative uses.

n.
A slip; an error; a fault; a failing in duty; a slight deviation from truth or rectitude.

n.
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.

n.
A fall or apostasy.

v. i.
To pass slowly and smoothly downward, backward, or away; to slip downward, backward, or away; to glide; -- mostly restricted to figurative uses.

v. i.
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.

v. i.
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.

v. i.
To become ineffectual or void; to fall.

v. t.
To let slip; to permit to devolve on another; to allow to pass.

v. t.
To surprise in a fault or error; hence, to surprise or catch, as an offender.

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.

Bacon was content to wait the lapse of long centuries for his expected revenue of fame.

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.

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.

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.

Homer, in his characters of Vulcan and Thersites, has lapsed into the burlesque character.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Homer, in his characters of Vulcan and Thersites, has lapsed into the burlesque character.

2.

To let slip; to permit to devolve on another; to allow to pass.

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Usage Examples

Has Bill Clinton inspired idealism in the young, as he himself was inspired by John F. Kennedy? Or has he actually reduced their idealism? Surely part of the answer lies in Clinton's personal moral lapse with Monica Lewinsky. But more important was his sin of omission - his failure to embrace a moral cause beyond popularity.

Misspelled Form

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Other Usage Examples

No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth.

No story is the same to us after a lapse of time or rather we who read it are no longer the same interpreters.