/collapse/
-) Verb.
-) Pronunciation and accent: kəlæps.
-) Etymology: from Latin collapsus, preterite participle of collabi (= to fall together, to collapse), analysed into co- (= together) + labi (= to fall). It is identical with Spanish colapsar, and Italian collassare.
-) Third-person singular simple present: she/he collapses.
-) Preterite tense, preterite participle: collapsed.
-) Present participle: collapsing.
-) Intransitively: 1. Literal definition: (it is referred either to the parts of a body or to the body itself) to fall together or simultaneously, as a result of loss of support or rigidity (the connotation is the one of disintegration or destruction).
-) Translation: tomber simultanément, in French.
[…] in four minutes the explosion took place, the house was destroyed, the roof blown up, the walls collapsed.
Journal of the royal artillery, 1858
With the destruction of the enormous abbey, the whole place collapsed in a general ruin.
Hardy… Jude the obscure 1895
-) With the preposition “into” + the noun of the place where the collapsed thing is to be found after the fall:
There was no water in the fire hydrants, so that, by the time the firemen reached another water source, the roof had collapsed into the fifth floor, and that in turn had collapsed into the fourth floor.
New York Magazine, Jul. 1972
-) With the preposition “under” + noun of the thing whose weight causes the collapse:
Once the chemical attack had taken place, ettringite crystals formed in the concrete disrupting its structure and reducing its load bearing capacity so much that one beam in the roof collapsed under its own weight.
New Scientist, Jul. 1974
-) 2. (Used with less property than the preceding acceptation) to change into a flattened form; to shrink into a smaller volume; contract. (The connotation is the one of change without disintegration).
[…] the balloon has collapsed, and we shall have a tumble into the sea.
Edgar Poe… 1849
-) 3. (It is referred to a collapsible device, as an umbrella) to fold; to fold up; to become folded; to be reduced to a compact form by folding.
-) Antonym: expand.
The construction of common umbrellas, and the contrivances by which they are made to expand or collapse at pleasure, are too familiar known to need description.
George Long… Penny cyclopaedia… 1843
-) 4. Metaphor: (of an animated being) to fall, sit, lean or recline, as if by loss of rigidity.
-) Antonym: stand.
Every morning I "go in" at these marks for two or three hours, and then collapse and do nothing whatever (counting as nothing much cricket and rounders).
Dickens… The Letters…
He had ceased to speak to Belsky; he collapsed into a chair, and hid his face in his arms stretched out on the table before him.
Howells… Ragged Lady, 1899
Emelene shuffled uneasily, half rose, and collapsed helplessly back on the cushions, like a baby who has encountered the resistance of his buggy strap.
Samuel Merwin… The Sturdy Oak
-) 5. Metaphor: to discourage oneself
-) 6. Metaphor: to cease, discontinue, or lose value, virtue or force, as if by collapse or fall; to change into something less than it was.
Her defensive manner collapsed.
Thomas Hardy… Jude the obscure 1895
-) With the preposition “into or to” + noun of the thing resulting from the cessation, discontinuance, change, etc.:
The light […] collapsed into a small globule, exceedingly brilliant […], rested a moment on a bed in the corner, quivered, and vanished.
Charles Dickens… The Haunted House, 1859
Had I not been very sea-sick, the sight would have been exciting enough, as I sat wrapped in my oilskins on the bridge; [but] in spite of all my efforts to talk, to eat, and to grin, I soon collapsed into imbecility.
Robert Stevenson… Memoir… 1896
[…] the habitual sternness of feature which rendered him a terror to the people, had collapsed into feebleness.
George Croly… Salathiel… 1828
-) Transitively: 1. Literal definition: to cause to collapse.
[…] as if someone collapsed the walls to seal off what lay beyond.
Philip Imbrogno… Files… 2010
-) 2. To make collapse (a collapsible device, as an umbrella); this is, to make contract.
-) Antonyms: reopen, open, inflate, spread.
This fan-parasol or sun-shade is constructed with a framework of rods or arms, so arranged that, by means of levers, slides, springs, or other contrivances, the shade may be spread or opened, or may be collapsed or closed at pleasure.
The Mechanics’ Magazine, vol. 61… 1854
Far back on the west end of the northern chain of hills, a Mexican collapsed his telescope, hazarded a long-range shot at the hard-riding Charley.
Clarence Mulford… The Bar 20 Three 1921
A bus pulled up. The driver opened the door, yelled something in French, then drove away. Half the students had collapsed their umbrellas expecting to get on. They reopened them.
Karen Bass… Run… 2014
-) With the preposition “into” + noun of the thing resulting from the contraction:
So compact that it can be collapsed into a small bundle for the auto running board, a folding boat is made of mahogany pieces joined by waterproof canvas and can be put together in less than two minutes.
Popular Mechanics, Oct. 1928
-) 3. (Somewhat improper use) to shrink anything, even if it is not collapsible.
In a Windows interface the window can be collapsed into a small icon, usually in the task bar, by clicking a “Minimise” button, typically located in the title bar.
Richard Fisher… Information technology… 2006
When used, they [globes] are inflated with air; and when collapsed, may be folded in so small a compass as to be no incumbrance under any circumstances.
The Mechanics’ Magazine… 1856
-) English words derived from Latin labi: collapsable, collapsible, collapse (noun), collapsed, collapsibility, collapsible, collapsing, labile, lability, labilize, labilizing, labilization, labilizer, lapsable, lapsible, lapse (noun, verb), lapsed, lapser, preterlabent, preterlapsed, elapse, elapsing, elapsed, illapse (noun, verb), illapsing, illapsable, prolapse, relapse (noun, verb), relapsed, relapser, relapsing.
