lapse
part of speech
noun (a lapse, lapses); verb (lapse, lapses, lapsed, lapsing)
meaning for a pupil
1) A small mistake or failure, often caused by not paying attention: a lapse of memory. tree →
2) A short time that passes between two events: after a lapse of a few minutes. tree →
3) (verb) To stop being valid because it was not renewed: my library card lapsed. tree →
4) (verb) To slowly fall into a worse state or into silence: he lapsed into silence. tree →
5) (verb) To stop doing something you used to do, such as a habit or practice. tree →
sense in the lessons
In everyday life it often describes forgetting or a slip in concentration («a lapse in concentration», «a memory lapse»). In safety talk a «lapse in safety» can cause accidents. In formal writing a membership or insurance «lapses» if it is not paid. In stories characters «lapse into silence» or «lapse back into old habits». Phrases: a lapse of memory, a lapse in judgement, lapse into.
examples
- And after a lapse of years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. (Writings 2CH.18.2, JPS 1917) tree →
- I had a lapse of memory and forgot my PE kit. tree →
- One lapse in concentration and the goalkeeper let the ball in. tree →
- After a lapse of ten minutes, the bell rang again. tree →
- Dad let his gym membership lapse because he never went. tree →
- The room lapsed into silence when the head teacher walked in. tree →
- It was just a lapse; she is usually very careful. tree →
- A lapse in safety at the pool can be dangerous. tree →
- His passport had lapsed, so he needed a new one. tree →
- One day, after the lapse of many years, he met Angelo, who recognized him. tree →
note
Countable noun: a lapse, lapses. Verb past: lapsed. Do not confuse with «elapse» (time passes: «ten minutes elapsed») or «collapse» (fall down). «Lapse» is a fairly formal word; in casual talk people say «slip» or «I forgot».
In the corpora
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «lapse» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.