/COLLAPSE-meaning

// 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.

// It is dated from 1700.

// Intransitive: 1. (Of a construction, a structure, or of its parts) to fall together or simultaneously, as a result of loss of support or rigidity; to break apart.

// 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… 1895

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

// With the preposition “into” + a noun:

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

// 2. (Used with less property)  to fold into a more compact shape or into a flattened form; to shrink suddenly into a smaller volume; contract.

… the balloon has collapsed, and we shall have a tumble into the sea.

Poe… Mellonta… 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.

G. 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… 1857-1870

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.

S. Merwin… The Sturdy Oak… 1917

// 5. Metaphor: to discourage oneself.

// 6. Metaphor: to cease, discontinue, or lose value, virtue or force, as if by collapse; to change into something less than it was.

Her defensive manner collapsed.

T. Hardy… Jude… 1895

// With the prepositions “into” and “to” + noun:

… the habitual sternness of feature which rendered him a terror to the people, had collapsed into feebleness.

G. Croly… Salathiel… 1828

The light… collapsed into a small globule, exceedingly brilliant…, rested a moment on a bed in the corner, quivered, and vanished.

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.

R. Stevenson… Memoir… 1896

// Transitive: 1. To cause to collapse.

// 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.

C. Mulford… The Bar 20 Three… 1921

// 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

// 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.

 

 |