Pronunciation: k ə - ' laps
Function: verb
Inflected Form: col · lapsed ; col · laps · ing
Etymology: Latin collapsus, past participle of collabi, from com- + labi to fall, slide ― more at SLEEP
Date: 1732
intransitive verb
1 : to fall or shrink together abruptly and completely : fall into a jumbled or flattened mass through the force of external pressure <a blood vessel that collapsed >
2 : to break down completely : DISINTEGRATE <his case had collapsed in a mass of legal wreckage ― Erle Stanley Gardner>
3 : to cave or fall in or give way <the bridge collapsed >
4 : to suddenly lose force, significance, effectiveness, or worth <fears that the currency may collapse >
5 : to break down in vital energy, stamina, or self-control through exhaustion or disease especially : to fall helpless or unconscious
6 : to fold down into a more compact shape <a chair that collapse s >
transitive verb
1 : to cause to collapse <buildings collapsed by an earthquake>
2 : CONDENSE < collapse several stories into one>
– col · laps · ibil · i · ty \ - ˌ lap-s ə - ' bi-l ə -t ē \ noun
– col · laps · ible \ - ' lap-s ə -b ə l \ adjective