The meaning of Lapse

verb

Relapse into bad ways or error.

Usage examples:

There are many things that can cause slimmers to backslide

noun

A stupid or careless mistake.

Usage examples:

She stopped, finally aware of the terrible blunder she had made

verb

Make a stupid or careless mistake; act or speak clumsily.

Usage examples:

He knew he'd blundered

noun

A big mistake, especially one resulting from a lack of care or thought

Usage examples:

His failure to respond immediately to the accusations was a major political blunder., he feared he …

verb

Separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain.

Usage examples:

The branch broke with a loud snap

noun

An interruption of continuity or uniformity.

Usage examples:

The magazine has been published without a break since 1950

noun

Former term for breaking cart.

noun

The route or direction followed by a ship, aircraft, road, or river.

Usage examples:

The road adopts a tortuous course along the coast

verb

(of liquid) move without obstruction; flow.

Usage examples:

Tears were coursing down her cheeks

noun

The particular path something such as an aircraft or ship takes as it moves, or the path along which a river flows

Usage examples:

A southern course will take our flight over texas., the ship was blown off course (= away from its …

verb

(of organic matter) rot or decompose through the action of bacteria and fungi.

Usage examples:

The body had begun to decay

noun

The state or process of rotting or decomposition.

Usage examples:

Hardwood is more resistant to decay than softwood

noun

Damage, or a state that becomes gradually worse

Usage examples:

The dentist says i have a lot of tooth decay., there’s still too much crime, poverty, and decay in …

verb

(typically of something regarded as good) become smaller, fewer, or less; decrease.

Usage examples:

The birth rate continued to decline

noun

A gradual and continuous loss of strength, numbers, quality, or value.

Usage examples:

A serious decline in bird numbers

verb

To go down in amount or quality; lessen or weaken

Usage examples:

His interest in the project declined after his wife died., her health declined quickly., [ t ] she …

adjective

Having lost the physical, mental, or moral qualities considered normal and desirable; showing evidence of decline.

Usage examples:

A degenerate form of a higher civilization

noun

An immoral or corrupt person.

Usage examples:

Get out of my house, you degenerate!

verb

Decline or deteriorate physically, mentally, or morally.

Usage examples:

The quality of life had degenerated

noun

The state of having been abandoned and become dilapidated.

Usage examples:

A 15th-century farmhouse has been saved from dereliction

noun

(a) failure to do what you should do

Usage examples:

What you did was a grave dereliction of duty., the old railway station was in a state of dereliction.

verb

Become progressively worse.

Usage examples:

Relations between the countries had deteriorated sharply

verb

To become worse

Usage examples:

She went into the hospital when her condition began to deteriorate., a deterioration in relations b…

verb

To become worse

Usage examples:

If the economy continues to deteriorate, it will affect the firm's future performance., sales will …

adjective

(of a product) no longer available or produced.

Usage examples:

Discontinued fabrics

verb

Cease from doing or providing (something), especially something that has been provided on a regular basis.

Usage examples:

The ferry service was discontinued by the proprietors

adjective

A product or service that is discontinued is no longer being produced or offered

Usage examples:

A discontinued line

verb

Let or make (something) fall vertically.

Usage examples:

The fire was caused by someone dropping a lighted cigarette

noun

A small round or pear-shaped portion of liquid that hangs or falls or adheres to a surface.

Usage examples:

The first drops of rain splashed on the ground

verb

Let fall to the ground

noun

A mistake.

Usage examples:

Spelling errors

noun

A mistake, esp. in a way that can be discovered as wrong, or the making of such mistakes

Usage examples:

[ c ] a spelling/mathematical error, [ u ] investigators said the train crash was caused by human e…

noun

Something done or written by accident that is not correct, not accurate, or does not give the right result

Usage examples:

Make/introduce an error can i amend my vat return online if i've made an error?, correct/find an er…

verb

(of a document, authorization, or agreement) come to the end of the period of validity.

Usage examples:

His driving licence expired

verb

(of something that lasts for a fixed length of time) to end or stop being in use

Usage examples:

My passport will expire next year.

verb

To come to an end after a fixed length of time

Usage examples:

A contract/lease/licence expires, this offer expires on 31 march 2012., set/scheduled/due to expire…

verb

(of a document, authorization, or agreement) come to the end of the period of validity.

Usage examples:

His driving licence expired

verb

Be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal.

Usage examples:

He failed in his attempt to secure election

noun

A mark which is not high enough to pass an examination or test.

Usage examples:

A fail grade

noun

A weakness, especially in a person's character; a shortcoming.

Usage examples:

Pride is a terrible failing

preposition

In the absence of; if not.

Usage examples:

She longed to be with him and, failing that, to be alone

verb

Be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal.

Usage examples:

He failed in his attempt to secure election

noun

Lack of success.

Usage examples:

An economic policy that is doomed to failure

verb

Move from a higher to a lower level, typically rapidly and without control.

Usage examples:

Five inches of snow fell through the night

noun

An act of falling or collapsing.

Usage examples:

His mother had a fall as she alighted from a train

verb

Descend freely under the influence of gravity

phrasal verb

Come off

phrasal verb

To become less in number, amount, or quality

Usage examples:

Production fell off last month.

phrasal verb

To get lower in amount or level

Usage examples:

Orders have definitely fallen off in the past quarter., a fall-off in sth the company blamed the fa…

noun

An unattractive or unsatisfactory feature, especially in a piece of work or in a person's character.

Usage examples:

My worst fault is impatience

verb

Criticize for inadequacy or mistakes.

Usage examples:

Her superiors could not fault her dedication to the job

noun

A quality in a person that shows that the person is not perfect, or a condition of something that shows that it is not working perfectly

Usage examples:

He loves me in spite of my faults., some people find fault in everything they see., i screwed up, s…

noun

A break or hole in an object or between two objects.

Usage examples:

He peeped through the gap in the curtains

noun

An empty space or opening in the middle of something or between two things

Usage examples:

Picking up speed, she closed the gap between them., she has a gap between her front teeth., after a…

noun

A difference between two numbers, amounts, or levels

Usage examples:

Forecasters are predicting a budget gap of nearly $17 bn next year., there is a $40 million shortfa…

noun

A pause or break in continuity in a sequence or activity.

Usage examples:

There was a brief hiatus in the war with france

noun

A short pause in which nothing happens, or a space where something no longer is

Usage examples:

Peace talks resumed this week after a five-month hiatus.

noun

An intervening period of time; an interval.

Usage examples:

Enjoying a lunchtime interlude

noun

A period or event that comes between two others and is different from them

Usage examples:

The ferry trip was a relaxing interlude during the drive.

noun

A pause or break.

Usage examples:

He was granted an intermission in his studies

noun

A brief period between the parts of a performance

noun

An intervening time.

Usage examples:

After his departure, there was an interval of many years without any meetings

noun

A period between two events or times, or the space between two points

Usage examples:

If there is a fire, the alarm will sound at 15-second intervals., we’ve positioned guards around th…

noun

A person made weak or disabled by illness or injury.

Usage examples:

She spent the rest of her life as an invalid

verb

Remove (someone) from active service in the armed forces because of injury or illness.

Usage examples:

He was badly wounded and invalided out of the infantry

adjective

(of an official document or procedure) not legally recognized because it contravenes a regulation or law.

Usage examples:

The will was declared invalid and the children were entitled to the estate

verb

Calm or send to sleep, typically with soothing sounds or movements.

Usage examples:

The rhythm of the boat lulled her to sleep

noun

A temporary interval of quiet or lack of activity.

Usage examples:

For two days there had been a lull in the fighting

verb

To cause someone to feel calm, sleepy, or safe

Usage examples:

The music lulled the infant to sleep., we were all lulled into thinking they wouldn't do anything.,…

noun

An act or judgement that is misguided or wrong.

Usage examples:

Coming here was a mistake

verb

Be wrong about.

Usage examples:

Because i was inexperienced i mistook the nature of our relationship

noun

An action or decision that is wrong or produces a result that is not correct or not intended

Usage examples:

We all make mistakes., [ + to infinitive ] it was a mistake to come to this restaurant without a re…

noun

Failure to take proper care over something.

Usage examples:

His injury was due to the negligence of his employers

noun

Failure to give enough care or attention to someone or something that you are responsible for

Usage examples:

Alleged/criminal/professional negligence she is claiming damages for alleged negligence in the hand…

noun

The fact of not giving enough care or attention to someone or something

Usage examples:

Medical negligence

noun

A person or thing that has been left out or excluded.

Usage examples:

There are glaring omissions in the report

noun

The fact of not including something that should have been included, or the thing that is not included

Usage examples:

We are not responsible for the omission of information from this website., the document contained a…

noun

An unintentional failure to notice or do something.

Usage examples:

He had simply missed parsons out by an oversight

noun

A mistake caused by a failure to notice or do something

Usage examples:

Because of a bank oversight, the money had not been credited to my account., the fbi provided techn…

noun

Systems or actions to control an activity and make sure that it is done correctly and legally

Usage examples:

In commodity trading, key goods such as oil or uranium are traded with almost no oversight., govern…

noun

The action or process of moving through or past somewhere on the way from one place to another.

Usage examples:

There were moorings for boats wanting passage through the lock

verb

Subject (a strain of microorganisms or cells) to a passage.

Usage examples:

Each recombinant virus was passaged nine times successively

noun

A movement performed in advanced dressage and classical riding, in which the horse executes a slow elevated trot, giving the impression of dancing.

adjective

Going past.

Usage examples:

Passing cars

noun

The passage of something, especially time.

Usage examples:

With the passing of the years she had become a little eccentric

verb

Move or cause to move in a specified direction.

Usage examples:

He passed through towns and villages

verb

Interrupt action or speech briefly.

Usage examples:

She paused, at a loss for words

noun

A temporary stop in action or speech.

Usage examples:

She dropped me outside during a brief pause in the rain

verb

Cease an action temporarily

noun

A length or portion of time.

Usage examples:

He had long periods of depression

adjective

Belonging to or characteristic of a past historical time, especially in style or design.

Usage examples:

An attractive and beautifully modernized period house

verb

Return to a former or less developed state.

Usage examples:

They would not regress to pre-technological tribalism

noun

The action of returning to a former or less developed state.

Usage examples:

The regress is a return to puritan values

verb

To return to a previous and less advanced or worse state

Usage examples:

Our team improved in the second half, while our opponents regressed., learning a language requires …

verb

Go back to an earlier state, typically a worse one.

Usage examples:

She retrogressed to the starting point of her rehabilitation

verb

(chiefly of animal or vegetable matter) decay or cause to decay by the action of bacteria and fungi; decompose.

Usage examples:

The chalets were neglected and their woodwork was rotting away

noun

The process of decaying.

Usage examples:

The leaves were turning black with rot

verb

To decay, or to cause something to decay or weaken

Usage examples:

[ i ] the fallen apples rotted on the ground., [ t ] dampness rotted the old wood., rot weakened th…

collocation

Use up all one's strength and energy and stop working

phrasal verb

(of a supply of something) be used up.

Usage examples:

Our food is about to run out

phrasal verb

(of rope) be paid out.

Usage examples:

Slowly, he let the cables run out

verb

Go down below the surface of something, especially of a liquid; become submerged.

Usage examples:

He saw the coffin sink below the surface of the waves

noun

A fixed basin with a water supply and outflow pipe.

Usage examples:

I stood at the kitchen sink

noun

Fall or descend to a lower place or level

verb

Lose one's footing and slide unintentionally for a short distance.

Usage examples:

I slipped over on the ice

noun

An act of sliding unintentionally for a short distance.

Usage examples:

A single slip could send them plummeting down the mountainside

noun

A small piece of paper, typically a form for writing on or one giving printed information.

Usage examples:

His monthly salary slip

phrasal verb

Make a careless error.

Usage examples:

They often slipped up when it came to spelling

phrasal verb

To make a small mistake, often as a result of not thinking carefully

Usage examples:

It's easy for a journalist to slip up and use somebody else's idea without crediting him or her., t…

phrasal verb

To make a mistake

Usage examples:

We can't afford to slip up when we're risking so much money., there is a solution for taxpayers who…

verb

Sit, lean, or fall heavily and limply.

Usage examples:

She slumped against the cushions

noun

A sudden severe or prolonged fall in the price, value, or amount of something.

Usage examples:

A slump in profits

verb

To fall heavily and suddenly

Usage examples:

She slumped to the floor in a faint., the old man slumped in his chair, asleep., we both slumped ag…

noun

The full extent of something from end to end; the amount of space that something covers.

Usage examples:

A warehouse with a clear span of 28 feet

verb

(of a bridge, arch, etc.) extend from side to side of.

Usage examples:

The stream was spanned by a narrow bridge

verb

Yoke (an animal).

Usage examples:

He spanned his donkeys to the cart

verb

Write or name the letters that form (a word) in correct sequence.

Usage examples:

Dolly spelled her name

noun

A form of words used as a magical charm or incantation.

Usage examples:

A spell is laid on the door to prevent entry

verb

Allow (someone) to rest briefly by taking their place in an activity.

Usage examples:

I got sleepy and needed her to spell me for a while at the wheel

noun

A word or phrase used to describe a thing or to express a concept, especially in a particular kind of language or branch of study.

Usage examples:

The musical term ‘leitmotiv’

verb

Another term for terminus.

noun

A period of time during which something lasts

Usage examples:

Watson’s term as chairman expired last month., he served a prison term for robbery., this budget pl…

verb

Bring to an end.

Usage examples:

He was advised to terminate the contract

verb

To end or stop, or to cause something to end or stop

Usage examples:

[ i ] trains that used to terminate in hoboken now run into new york., [ t ] it sounded like she wa…

verb

To end or to make something end

Usage examples:

The takeover talks terminated without agreement., how do i terminate my subscription?, terminate a …

verb

Bring to an end.

Usage examples:

He was advised to terminate the contract

verb

Past simple and past participle of terminate

Usage examples:

They terminated my contract in october., this train will terminate at the next stop - passengers wh…

adjective

Not valid or legally binding.

Usage examples:

The contract was void

noun

A completely empty space.

Usage examples:

The black void of space

verb

Declare that (something) is not valid or legally binding.

Usage examples:

The supreme court voided the statute

verb

(of the moon) have a progressively smaller part of its visible surface illuminated, so that it appears to decrease in size.

Usage examples:

Tory tried to see her reflection, but the moon was waning, the stars obscured by clouds.

noun

The amount by which a plank or log is bevelled or falls short of a squared shape.

Usage examples:

I cut the log into slabs without removing the outside wane

verb

Make or become worse.

Usage examples:

Her condition worsened on the flight

verb

To become worse or to make something become worse

Usage examples:

As the company's financial problems worsened, several directors resigned., the continued supply of …