What (who) is lapse - definition
Lapse
·noun A fall or apostasy.
II. Lapse ·vi To become ineffectual or void; to Fall.
III. Lapse ·vt To let slip; to permit to devolve on another; to allow to pass.
IV. Lapse ·noun A slip; an error; a fault; a failing in duty; a slight deviation from truth or rectitude.
V. Lapse ·vt To surprise in a fault or error; hence, to surprise or catch, as an Offender.
VI. Lapse ·vi 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.
VII. Lapse ·noun A gliding, slipping, or gradual falling; an unobserved or imperceptible progress or passing away,;
- restricted usually to immaterial things, or to figurative uses.
VIII. Lapse ·vi 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.
IX. Lapse ·vi To pass slowly and smoothly downward, backward, or away; to slip downward, backward, or away; to Glide;
- mostly restricted to figurative uses.
X. Lapse ·noun 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.
lapse
I
n.
1) a momentary, temporary lapse (of memory)
2) a linguistic lapse
3) a lapse in (a lapse in judgment)
II
v. (d; intr.) to lapse into (to lapse into a coma)
lapse
(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
Pronunciation examples for lapse
1. lapse of the time lapse.
Chasing Ice _ Jeff Orlowski _ Talks at Google
2. time lapses and short-term time lapses.
Chasing Ice _ Jeff Orlowski _ Talks at Google
3. for five laps or 10 laps.
Life on the Race Track _ Danica Patrick _ Talks at Google
4. Judgment lapses?
Premonition (2007)
5. That's five laps, Rocco?
Conbody - From Convict to Conbody _ Coss Marte + More _ Talks at Google
Examples of use of lapse
1. Curtis‘s time–lapse collages turned into time–lapse movies.
2. Following the assassination, security authorities admitted a security lapse..
3. We can‘t deny that (security lapse)," he told reporters here when asked if there was any security lapse in the checking–in of Samjhauta Express passengers.
4. President Bush maintained that letting the broadened surveillance powers lapse «would jeopardize the security of our citizens.» Democrats insisted a lapse would have no real effect.
5. The shares to which they are entitled would then lapse. «