Definition of LAPSE

lapse

Plural: lapses

Noun

  • a mistake resulting from inattention
  • a break or intermission in the occurrence of something
    • "a lapse of three weeks between letters"
  • a failure to maintain a higher state
  • A temporary failure; a slip.
  • A decline or fall in standards.
  • A pause in continuity.
  • An interval of time between events.
  • A termination of a right etc., through disuse or neglect.
  • A marked decrease in air temperature with increasing altitude because the ground is warmer than the surrounding air.
  • A common-law rule that if the person to whom property is willed were to die before the testator, then the gift would be ineffective.
  • A fall or apostasy.

Verb

Verb Forms: lapsed, lapsing, lapses

  • To fall from a previous standard; to pass gradually.
  • pass into a specified state or condition
  • end, at least for a long time
    • "The correspondence lapsed"
  • drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards
  • go back to bad behavior
  • let slip
    • "He lapsed his membership"
  • pass by
    • "three years elapsed"
  • To fall away gradually; to subside.
  • To fall into error or heresy.
  • To slip into a bad habit that one is trying to avoid.
  • To become void.
  • To fall or pass from one proprietor to another, or from the original destination, by the omission, negligence, or failure of somebody, such as a patron or legatee.

Examples

  • A single ’LAPSE’ in concentration cost the player a crucial bingo opportunity.
  • lapse in concentration
  • lapse in security
  • lapse of judgment
  • memory lapse

Origin / Etymology

From Middle French laps, from Latin lāpsus, from lābī (“to slip”). Doublet of lapsus.

Scrabble Score: 7

lapse: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
lapse: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
lapse: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

lapse: valid Words With Friends Word