Library / English Dictionary

COLLAPSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of throwing yourself down

Example:

he landed on the bed with a great flop

Synonyms:

collapse; flop

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("collapse" is a kind of...):

descent (the act of changing your location in a downward direction)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A natural event caused by something suddenly falling down or caving in

Example:

the collapse of the old star under its own gravity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("collapse" is a kind of...):

happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "collapse"):

cave in; subsidence (the sudden collapse of something into a hollow beneath it)

debacle; fiasco (a sudden and violent collapse)

implosion (a sudden inward collapse)

Derivation:

collapse (break down, literally or metaphorically)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A sudden large decline of business or the prices of stocks (especially one that causes additional failures)

Synonyms:

collapse; crash

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("collapse" is a kind of...):

happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)

Derivation:

collapse (lose significance, effectiveness, or value)

collapse (break down, literally or metaphorically)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion

Example:

the commander's prostration demoralized his men

Synonyms:

collapse; prostration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("collapse" is a kind of...):

illness; malady; sickness; unwellness (impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "collapse"):

breakdown; crack-up (a mental or physical breakdown)

shock ((pathology) bodily collapse or near collapse caused by inadequate oxygen delivery to the cells; characterized by reduced cardiac output and rapid heartbeat and circulatory insufficiency and pallor)

heat hyperpyrexia; heatstroke (collapse caused by exposure to excessive heat)

algidity (prostration characterized by cold and clammy skin and low blood pressure)

Derivation:

collapse (collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack)

collapse (suffer a nervous breakdown)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack

Synonyms:

break down; collapse

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "collapse" is one way to...):

get; have; suffer; sustain (undergo (as of injuries and illnesses))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "collapse"):

fall over; go over (fall forward and down)

drop like flies (rapidly collapse, die, or drop out in large numbers)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue collapse

Derivation:

collapse (an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lose significance, effectiveness, or value

Example:

The stock market collapsed

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "collapse" is one way to...):

weaken (become weaker)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

collapse (a sudden large decline of business or the prices of stocks (especially one that causes additional failures))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Suffer a nervous breakdown

Synonyms:

break up; collapse; crack; crack up; crock up

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "collapse" is one way to...):

get; have; suffer; sustain (undergo (as of injuries and illnesses))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

collapse (an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Break down, literally or metaphorically

Example:

The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice

Synonyms:

break; cave in; collapse; fall in; founder; give; give way

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "collapse" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Verb group:

abandon; give up (stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims)

burst; collapse (cause to burst)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "collapse"):

go off; implode (burst inward)

buckle; crumple (fold or collapse)

flop (fall loosely)

break (curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves)

sink; slide down; slump (fall or sink heavily)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

The business is going to collapse

Derivation:

collapse (a natural event caused by something suddenly falling down or caving in)

collapse (a sudden large decline of business or the prices of stocks (especially one that causes additional failures))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause to burst

Example:

The ice broke the pipe

Synonyms:

burst; collapse

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Cause:

break; cave in; collapse; fall in; founder; give; give way (break down, literally or metaphorically)

Verb group:

break; cave in; collapse; fall in; founder; give; give way (break down, literally or metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "collapse"):

pop (cause to burst with a loud, explosive sound)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Fall apart

Example:

Negotiations broke down

Synonyms:

break down; collapse; crumble; crumple; tumble

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "collapse" is one way to...):

change integrity (change in physical make-up)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 7

Meaning:

Fold or close up

Example:

collapse the music stand

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "collapse" is one way to...):

fold; fold up; turn up (bend or lay so that one part covers the other)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "collapse"):

deflate (collapse by releasing contained air or gas)

concertina (collapse like a concertina)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

collapsible (capable of collapsing or being collapsed)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Then in a moment came the panic and the collapse.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"There is a speed limit in the study that shows that an ice shelf can't collapse ridiculously fast," said co-author Alison Banwell, a glaciology researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder.

(Reframing the dangers Antarctica's meltwater ponds pose to ice shelves and sea level, National Science Foundation)

The Milky Way galaxy is estimated to contain 100 million stellar black holes—cosmic bodies formed by the collapse of massive stars and so dense even light can't escape.

(Unpredicted stellar black hole discovered by astronomers, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

It means that the first black holes, which might have formed from the collapse of the first stars, must have grown very fast.

(ESO Observations Reveal Black Holes' Breakfast at the Cosmic Dawn, ESO)

Sharks, tuna, marlin and other large fish species were at particular risk, scientists said, with many vital ecosystems in danger of collapse.

(Oceans running out of oxygen at unprecedented rate, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The lungs trap air or collapse, fill with fluid, and produce extra mucus.

(Chronic Lung Disorder, NICHD)

Colfosceril palmitate is effective in reducing the surface tension of pulmonary fluids, thereby increasing lung compliance properties to prevent alveolar collapse and improve breathing.

(Colfosceril Palmitate, NCI Thesaurus)

It may lead to cardiovascular collapse and shock.

(Necrotizing Enterocolitis, NCI Thesaurus)

This process may be involved in lengthening telomeres and in resolving breaks induced by radiation, mutagenic chemicals and collapsed replication forks.

(Mitotic Recombination, NCI Thesaurus)

A rare disorder characterized by rapid rise of the body temperature, accompanied by rhabdomyolysis and, if untreated, by collapse and death.

(Malignant Hyperthermia Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)