Lapse — Defs

01 n. A gliding, slipping, or gradual falling; an unobserved or imperceptible progress or passing away,; -- restricted usually to immaterial thin…

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.
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.(Law)
4.
A fall or apostasy.(Theol.)

02 v. i. To pass slowly and smoothly downward, backward, or away; to slip downward, backward, or away; to glide; -- mostly restricted to figurative uses.

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.
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.(Law)
“If the archbishop shall not fill it up within six months ensuing, it lapses to the king.” — Ayliffe.

03 v. t. To let slip; to permit to devolve on another; to allow to pass.

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.