I. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a lapse in/of concentration (= a short time when you do not concentrate )
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That brief lapse of concentration resulted in a goal for the other team.
a lapse of memory/a memory lapse (= when you cannot remember something for a short time )
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The alcohol seemed to make him suffer lapses of memory.
a lapse of memory/a memory lapse (= when you cannot remember something for a short time )
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The alcohol seemed to make him suffer lapses of memory.
lapse into silence (= to stop talking and be quiet )
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'I don't want any,' he said, and lapsed into silence again.
sb's membership expires/lapses (= it comes to an end )
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We will send you a letter when your membership is about to expire.
slip/lapse/fall/sink into a coma (= go into one )
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Brett slipped into a coma from which he never awakened.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
momentary
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Those who are not must forgive me my momentary lapse into modest mathematical sophistication.
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She turned and looked about her, suddenly angered by the mess she had made - by her momentary lapse of control.
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More interesting was the momentary lapse of patience by Coach Dave Wannstedt in defending the moves.
occasional
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The diagrams that accompany the text are usually excellent with only the occasional lapse .
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Some people think Sawyer would make a lousy anchor because of her occasional lapses into tabloid tawdriness.
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There are very occasional technical lapses but nothing distressing.
temporary
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When she had been little, temporary lapses and been easily passed over.
■ NOUN
memory
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Towards the end Miss Servadei suffered several stumbles and a memory lapse , which unsettled this listener.
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Flubbed high notes or an obvious memory lapse during an important opening-night performance can erode a reputation.
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In any event, memory lapses are likely to present major reliability problems.
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The symptoms included memory lapses , depression, insomnia, daytime fatigue, slurred speech, confusion and migraine like headaches.
time
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I have long been concerned about the time lapse from the commissioning of a book to its appearance in the shops.
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This involves noting when the specified behaviour starts, noting again when it ends and recording the time lapse .
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In terms of this initial time lapse , two distinct groups can be identified.
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The conditions which will influence these decisions include the site, time lapse before treatment, contamination and state of the circulation.
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The other five deploy flashbacks and almost constant time lapses .
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There may be a time lapse between teaching and practical experience, so that recall may be impaired.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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He didn't offer Darren a drink, and Marie did not appear to notice the lapse .
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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But the life of a first generation feminist can be plagued by disconcerting lapses.
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He and Dean had just been laid off during a seniority lapse because of a drastic reduction of crews.
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He had not died or fallen ill, nor had Smallfry been made aware of his lapses.
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He kicked and usually punched, but his size and strength produced blows that jarred the body and caused lapses in consciousness.
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His claim that he had been constructively dismissed failed because of the lapse of time after 6 February 1981 before he took action.
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None of what has been said suggests that we should ignore ethical lapses or law-breaking by public figures.
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The clock was restored to its original condition in full working order in 1956, after a lapse of seventy-two years.
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There were a few lapses, but there was effort.
II. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
in
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Her distraught family were given the bombshell news yesterday as the model lapsed in and out of horrific hallucinations.
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By this time Snyder was lapsing in and out of consciousness and his body temperature was fluctuating wildly.
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In severe injury or in head injury he may lapse in and out of unconsciousness.
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He had lost a lot of blood and was lapsing in and out of consciousness.
■ NOUN
silence
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As the rest of the tawdry tale emerged the Foreign Office and Downing Street lapsed into embarrassed silence .
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But ultimately, words fail them and they lapse into silence .
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Edward lapsed once more into strangled silence .
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The Poole family, grouped rather self-consciously round the birthday cake on Earth, lapsed into a sudden silence .
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He had lapsed into a frozen silence which she found more worrying than his screams.
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Without my prompting, Jack often lapsed into silence .
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I would talk and laugh with my companions but withdraw, lapsing into silence , when I was offered any food.
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She lapsed into a deep silence which I did not try to disturb.
unconsciousness
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In severe injury or in head injury he may lapse in and out of unconsciousness .
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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Crockett wishes he hadn't let his insurance policies lapse last year.
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I let the conversation lapse and Kelly finally spoke up.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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A mysterious apple laced with morphine causes Snow White to lapse into a coma.
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In this situation professionals are most apt to allow their normal reserve about commerce to lapse , and to give meaningful information.
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Some have even lapsed into postfeminist inaction.
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The defense lapsed in the sixth, when shortstop Craig Shipley muffed a spinning grounder.
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There was moreover, a young man in the congregation who lapsed into this sin.
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They lapsed into writing meticulous creeds and inventing lifeless rituals.
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They were allowed to lapse in the late nineteenth century and were not revived until after the last war.