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collapse definition

col·lapse (kə laps′)

intransitive verb collapsed -·lapsed′, collapsing -·laps′·ing

  1. to fall down or fall to pieces, as when supports or sides fail to hold; cave in; shrink together suddenly
  2. to break down suddenly; fail; give way the enemy's defense collapsed
    1. to break down or fail suddenly in health or physical strength
    2. to fall down, as from a blow or exhaustion
    3. to fall or drop drastically, as in value or force
  4. to fold or come together compactly

Etymology: < L collapsus, pp. of collabi < com-, together + labi, to fall: see lap

transitive verb

to cause to collapse

noun

the act of collapsing; a falling in or together; failure or breakdown, as in business or health

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

medical collapse definition - medical

collapse Synonyms

collapse

n.

breakdown, downfall, destruction, cave-in; see failure 1, fall 1, illness 1, wreck 1.


collapse

v.

drop, deflate, give way, crumple; see fail 1, faint, fall 1, 2, give 4.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

collapse Usage Examples

Object

  • inwards: As it slowly loses the fight it's outer layers start to collapse inwards.

Converse of object

  • precipitate: Trawlers, the strip miners of the sea, often precipitate the collapse of fish stocks from years of over-harvesting.

Adjective modifier

  • catastrophic: It required the Ukrainian authorities to abandon all State controls over the exchange rate, leading to a catastrophic collapse of the currency.

Modifies a noun

  • doline: Large collapse dolines and marginal poljes are also notable features.

Noun used with modifier

  • batting: They do, however, have a history of batting collapses, and this was one of our more spectacular.

Preposition: of

  • communism: With the collapse of communism, the US foreign policy agenda needed a new enemy.

Preposition: from

  • exhaustion: One of the Delta hunters collapses from heat exhaustion.
collapse usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

collapse quotes

Here lies a prince whose intentions were pure, but who had the misfortune to see all his plans collapse.

-Joseph II

Agreement reached by the negotiators†usually starts to collapse in the hands of those who implement it, no matter how carefully cleared at the top.

-Shultz, George P(ratt)

Exercise? I get it on the golf course.When I see my friends collapse, I run for the paramedics.

-Skelton, Red (Richard)

collapse quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Cite this page:

MLA Style

"collapse." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/collapse>

APA Style

collapse. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/collapse

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