elapse

[ih-laps]

See more synonyms for elapse on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), e·lapsed, e·laps·ing.

(of time) to slip or pass by: Thirty minutes elapsed before the performance began.

noun

the passage or termination of a period of time; lapse.

Origin of elapse

1635–45; < Latin ēlapsus (past participle of ēlābī to slip away), equivalent to e- e-¹ + lab- slip + -sus for -tus past participle suffix

Related formsun·e·lapsed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for elapsed

Contemporary Examples

But by the time a critical wanted poster sent via fax arrived, more than two hours elapsed.
Alleged Cop Killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley Had a Death Wish
M.L. Nestel
December 22, 2014
Forty-five minutes were estimated to have elapsed from the time the stabbing began until the killer left.
The Myth of the Central Park Five
Edward Conlon
October 19, 2014
During the moment which elapsed between her reply and my answer I thought of a thousand responses to that innocent confession.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show
Robert W. Chambers
February 20, 2014
More than a year elapsed before Hawes found an attorney willing to handle the pardon request.
The Jazz Pianist That John F. Kennedy Saved
Ted Gioia
August 16, 2013
The 24 years that have elapsed have already blurred the small details, the memories and the feelings.
Opening Up About Sexual Assault in Israel
Emily L. Hauser
June 20, 2013

Historical Examples

The week elapsed, and at the end of it, I had not presented myself at his residence.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
A little more than a year had elapsed when he again entered the political arena.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
Uneasily, he had remained in the library until the allotted time was elapsed.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
When, however, suitable time had elapsed, the oldest of the party spoke.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
Some hours elapsed before he was conscious of anything that was passing around him.
Georgie's Present
Miss Brightwell

British Dictionary definitions for elapsed

elapse

verb

(intr) (of time) to pass by

Word Origin

C17: from Latin ēlābī to slip away, from lābī to slip, glide

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for elapsed

elapse

v.

1640s, from Middle French elapser, from Latin elapsus, past participle of elabi "slip or glide away, escape," from ex- "out, away" (see ex-) + labi "to slip, glide" (see lapse (n.)). The noun now corresponding to elapse is lapse. Related: Elapsed; elapsing.

elapse

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}elapse

Examples from the Web for elapsed

Contemporary Examples

But by the time a critical wanted poster sent via fax arrived, more than two hours elapsed.

Forty-five minutes were estimated to have elapsed from the time the stabbing began until the killer left.

During the moment which elapsed between her reply and my answer I thought of a thousand responses to that innocent confession.

More than a year elapsed before Hawes found an attorney willing to handle the pardon request.

The 24 years that have elapsed have already blurred the small details, the memories and the feelings.

Historical Examples

The week elapsed, and at the end of it, I had not presented myself at his residence.

A little more than a year had elapsed when he again entered the political arena.

Uneasily, he had remained in the library until the allotted time was elapsed.

When, however, suitable time had elapsed, the oldest of the party spoke.

Some hours elapsed before he was conscious of anything that was passing around him.

elapse

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for elapsed

elapse

v.

Origin of elapse