relapse

/ɹiˈlæps/ree-LAPS
/ɹiˈlæps/ree-LAPS

Meaninga slipping back

Common meaning: to fall back into illness or a habit

‘again’ + ‘to slip, glide’ → relapse

Journey through time

  1. Latinlābor, lāpsus‘to slip, glide’
  2. Englishrelapse‘to fall back into illness or a habit’ · today

re- also in: reactrebelrelaxrepelreply

laps also in: lapseelapsecollapse

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin lābor ‘to slip, glide’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry lābor, p. 1024 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

collapseelapselapse

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