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lapse |
5 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: 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. --Rambler. Bacon was content to wait the lapse of long centuries for his expected revenue of fame. --I. Taylor. 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 --Rogers. 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. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: 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. --Swift. Homer, in his characters of Vulcan and Thersites has lapsed into the burlesque character. --Addison. 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 --Shak. 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. --Ayliffe. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: 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. --Ayliffe. 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. --Shak. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: lapse n 1: a mistake resulting from inattention [syn: {oversight}] 2: a break or intermission in the occurrence of something "a lapse of three weeks between letters" 3: a failure to maintain a higher state [syn: {backsliding}, {lapsing}, {recidivism}, {relapse}, {relapsing}, {reversion}, {reverting}] v 1: pass into a specified state or condition: "He sank into Nirvana" [syn: {sink}, {pass}] 2: end at least for a long time; "The correspondence lapsed" 3: drop to a lower level; as in one's morals or standards [syn: {backslide}] 4: go back to bad behavior; "Those who recidivate are often minor criminals" [syn: {relapse}, {recidivate}, {regress}, {retrogress}, {fall back}] 5: let slip; "He lapsed his membership" 6: pass by as of time [syn: {elapse}, {pass}, {slip by}, {glide by}, {slip away}, {go by}, {slide by}, {go along}] From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]: LAPSE A {single assignment} language for the {Manchester dataflow machine}. ["A Single Assignment Language for Data Flow Computing", J.R.W. Glauert M.Sc Diss, Victoria U Manchester, 1978]. (1994-12-21)
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