You searched for: “lapse”
laps, laps, lapse, lapse, Lapps, elapse, relapse
laps (LAPS) (noun)
1. The flat spots created when people are seated which are formed by the tops of the thighs and the upright portions of the abdomen: The children sat in a circle on the rug with a toy on their laps.
2. The distance covered, as on a racecourse: Leonar ran three laps around the track before tripping and falling down just before the finish line.
laps (LAPS) (verb)
1. To overlay two surfaces in such a manner that there is little or no space between them: The roofer carefully laps the new shingles so the rain will not get in.
3. To move food or liquid to the mouth using the tongue: The dog laps the water quickly because it is very thirsty.
lapse (LAPS) (noun)
An error usually caused by forgetfulness: Mildred's lapse of memory seemed to be caused by her illness over several months.
lapse (LAPS) (verb)
1. To end protection or coverage in an insurance policy due to lack of payment: Mike's health care plan is about to lapse, so he thinks he'd better send a check right away.
2. To subside or to sink away gradually from a typical pattern of belief or behavior: Brittney was ill and slowly began to lapse into a coma.
Lapps (LAPS) (noun)
People who live in the Northern Scandinavian countries, Finland, and Northern Russia who were historically known as nomadic hunters: During Trina's circumpolar travels, she noticed that the Lapps wore warm and colorful clothing during the winter.
elapse (i LAPS) (noun)
A passage or gap in time between events: There was an elapse of ten years from the time Marvin left home until he decided to return.
relapse (ri LAPS) (noun)
A backsliding, recurrence, or worsening: Dr. Smith told her patient that she was experiencing a relapse of her former illness and should go to bed to rest.

At the international racing competition, the Lapps ran three consecutive laps when they only needed to run two laps; the runners later decided they had a slight lapse of memory about how many laps to run.

They were so tired that they sat on the benches with bottles of water on their laps and they joked that they hoped that they didn't have another relapse of memory or at least not until there was an elapse of several years.

This entry is located in the following units: Confusing Words Clarified: Group L; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. + (page 1) laps-, lab- (page 2)
Word Entries containing the term: “lapse”
atmospheric lapse rate (s) (noun), atmospheric lapse rates (pl)
The environmental rate of decrease with height for an atmospheric variable or temperature: The atmospheric lapse rate is the rate of decrease with height and not simply the rate of change.

While most often applied to the Earth's atmosphere, the concept can be extended to any gravitationally supported ball of gas.

In other words, the atmospheric lapse rate involves the decrease of temperature with elevation in the atmosphere.

The "environmental lapse rate" is determined by the distribution of temperature in the vertical at a given time and place and should be carefully distinguished from the process lapse rate, which applies to an individual air parcel.

This entry is located in the following units: atmo-, atm- + (page 4) laps-, lab- (page 1) sphero-, spher-, -sphere- (page 3)
lapse rate
The rate at which the temperature of the atmosphere falls as altitude increases.
This entry is located in the following unit: laps-, lab- (page 2)
Word Entries at Get Words containing the term: “lapse”
temperature lapse rate
The rate at which temperatures decrease with height.
This entry is located in the following unit: Meteorology or Weather Terms + (page 7)