1. (n.) A gap, slipping, or gradual fading; as, a lapse in judgment\; an unobserved or imperceptible progress or passing away; -- restricted usually to immaterial things, or to figurative uses.

2. (n.) A slip; an error; a fault; a failing in duty; a slight deviation from truth or rectitude.

3. (n.) The termination of a right or privilege through neglect to exercise it within the limited time, or through failure of some contingency; hence, the devolution of a right or privilege.

4. (n.) A fall or apostasy.

5. (v. i.) To pass slowly and smoothly downward, backward, or away; to slip downward, backward, or away; to glide; -- mostly restricted to figurative uses.

6. (v. i.) To slide or slip in moral conduct; to fail in duty; to fall from virtue; to deviate from rectitude; to commit a fault by inadvertence or mistake.

7. (v. i.) To fall or pass from one proprietor to another, or from the original destination, by the omission, negligence, or failure of some one, as a patron, a legatee, etc.

8. (v. i.) To become ineffectual or void; to fall.

9. (v. t.) To let slip; to permit to devolve on another; to allow to pass.

10. (v. t.) To surprise in a fault or error; hence, to surprise or catch, as an offender.

abeyance about-face advance alchemy apostasy apostatize assimilation assumption atavism atheism atrocity backing backset backslide backsliding backward deviation backward motion backward step balk be all over be caught napping be gone be neglectful be negligent be no more be past become extinct become void becoming bevue blooper blow over blunder boner breach break bull bungle cadence caesura catabasis catenary cave cave in cease cease-fire cessation change change-over close closing cock collapse comedown continue conversion crash crime crime against humanity culpa culpable negligence day off deadly sin debasement decadence decadency deceleration declension declination decline decline and fall decrescendo decurrence default deformation degeneracy degenerate degenerateness degeneration degradation delinquency demotion depravation depravedness depreciation dereliction derogation descend descent desertion deteriorate deterioration deviate devolution die die away diminish diminuendo diminution disappear disenchantment disregard dive downtrend downturn downward mobility downward trend droop drop dwindling dying ebb effeteness elapse end endure enormity err error evil expire fade fading fail failing failure failure of nerve fall fall again into fall astern fall away fall back fall behind fall from grace fall into error fall off falling back falling-off false move false step fault felony flip-flop flit flop flop down flow flow on fluff flump flump down fly foible founder frailty gap genocide get behind give way glide gloss over go amiss go astray go awry go backwards go behind go by go down go downhill go off go on go out go wrong goof growth guilty act have a relapse have it have its time have run out heavy sin hesitation hiatus hit a slump hit rock bottom hit the skids hold-up holiday homestretch ignore impiety impiousness impropriety inadvertence inadvertency inattention indiscretion inexpiable sin iniquity injury injustice interim interlude intermezzo intermission intermittence interruption interval involution irreligion irreverence jerk back laches lacuna laissez-faire lapse back lapse from grace lapsus calami lapsus linguae last last lap last round last stage laxity laxness layoff let go let ride let slide let slip letup loose thread looseness lose ground lose sight of lose track of loss of tone lower lowering lull malefaction malfeasance malum minor wrong miscalculate miscue misdeed misdemeanor misfeasance misstep mistake mortal sin naturalization neglect