lapse

About 2.83 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. noun A temporary failure; a slip.

   memory lapse

2. noun A decline or fall in standards.
3. noun A pause in continuity.
4. noun An interval of time between events.
5. noun A termination of a right etc., through disuse or neglect.
6. noun A marked decrease in air temperature with increasing altitude because the ground is warmer than the surrounding air.
7. noun A common-law rule that if the person to whom property is willed were to die before the testator, then the gift would be ineffective.
8. noun A fall or apostasy.

Similar words

slip by slip away elapse relapse backslide recidivism recidivate go by oversight fall back

Often followed by

of into rate in from between and or on

Word family

lapsed lapser lapsers lapses lapsing