noun , verb
■ noun
/ rɪˈlæps; NAmE ; ˈriːlæps/ [ C , U ] the fact of becoming ill / sick again after making an improvement :
to have / suffer a relapse
a risk of relapse
■ verb
/rɪˈlæps/ [ v ] relapse (into sth) to go back into a previous condition or into a worse state after making an improvement :
They relapsed into silence.
He relapsed into his old bad habits.
Two days after leaving the hospital she relapsed into a coma.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin relaps- slipped back, from the verb relabi , from re- back + labi to slip. Early senses referred to a return to heresy or wrongdoing.