lapse
lapse Lexical Profile
lapse Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A temporary failure of concentration, memory, or judgment.
"A momentary lapse in concentration cost the chess grandmaster the match."
An interval or passage of time between two events.
"After a lapse of nearly ten years, the two childhood friends finally reconnected."
The termination of a right, privilege, or legal policy through disuse or failure to renew.
"A lapse in your auto insurance coverage can result in higher premiums later."
• verb
To become invalid, no longer active, or expired because it was not renewed or used (of a contract, right, or membership).
"She allowed her magazine subscription to lapse after moving to a new apartment."
To pass or slip gradually into an inferior, quiet, or previous state or habit.
"After a few minutes of polite conversation, the guests lapsed into an awkward silence."
• Rhymes for lapse
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 15th century from Latin lapsus, meaning 'a slipping or falling', from the past participle of labi ('to glide, slip, or fall').