relapsing

Variant of relapse

relapse definition

re·lapse (ri laps′; also, and for n. usually, rē′laps)

intransitive verb relapsed -·lapsed′, relapsing -·laps′·ing

to slip or fall back into a former condition, esp. after improvement or seeming improvement; specif.,
  1. to fall back into illness
  2. to fall back into bad habits, wrongdoing, etc.; backslide

Etymology: < L relapsus, pp. of relabi, to slip or slide back: see re- & lapse

noun

  1. the act or an instance of relapsing
  2. the recurrence of a disease after apparent improvement

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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