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   Col·lapse

   /kəˈlaps/

   

   verb

   • 1. (of a structure) fall down or in; give way: "the roof collapsed on top of me" Similar cave infall insubsidefall downsagslumpsettlegivegive waycrumblecrumpledisintegratefall to piecescome apartOpposite hold up
   • ▪ cause (something) to fall in or give way: "it feels as if the slightest pressure would collapse it"
   • ▪ (of a lung or blood vessel) become flat and empty with the walls fallen inward: "she was so dehydrated that her veins had collapsed"
   • ▪ cause (a lung or blood vessel) to collapse: "he had an operation to collapse his lung"
   • 2. (of a person) fall down and become unconscious, typically through illness or injury: "he collapsed from loss of blood" Similar faintpass outblack outlose consciousnessfall unconsciouskeel overinformal:flake outconk outgo outliterary:swoon
   • ▪ sit or lie down as a result of tiredness or amusement: "exhausted, he collapsed on the bed"
   • 3. (of an institution or undertaking) fail suddenly and completely: "in the face of such resolve his opposition finally collapsed" Similar break downfailfall throughfoldfounderfall flatmiscarrygo wrongcome to nothingcome to griefbe frustratedbe unsuccessfulnot succeeddisintegratecome to a haltendterminateinformal:flopfizzle outflatlineOpposite succeed
   • ▪ (of a price or currency) drop suddenly in value: "the price of oil collapsed"
   • 4. fold or be folded to fit into a small space: "some cots collapse down to fit into a bag"
   • ▪ compress a displayed part of (a spreadsheet or other electronic document): "tabulation programs can be used to collapse this list in various ways"

   noun

   • 1. an instance of a structure falling down or in: "the collapse of a railroad bridge" Similar cave-ingiving waysubsidencecrumblingdisintegration
   • ▪ a sudden failure of an institution or undertaking: "the collapse of the Ottoman Empire" Similar breakdownfailuredisintegrationfounderingmiscarriagelack of successhaltendterminationOpposite outcomesuccess
   • ▪ a physical or mental breakdown: "he suffered a collapse from overwork" Similar breakdownattackseizureprostrationnervous breakdownnervous/mental collapsenervous exhaustionnervous tensioncrisispersonal crisispsychological traumainformal:crack-up

   Word Origin early 17th century (as collapsed): from medical Latin collapsus, past participle of collabi, from col- ‘together’ + labi ‘to slip’.

   Scrabble Points: 12

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2. People also ask

   What does collapse mean?

   • Get Word of the Day daily email! The meaning of COLLAPSE is to fall or shrink together abruptly and completely : fall into a jumbled or flattened mass through the force of external pressure. How to use collapse in a sentence.

   Collapse Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collapse

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   Where did the word collapse come from?

   • The first records of collapse come from around 1725. It comes from the Latin collābī, meaning “to fall to ruins.” To collapse is to literally or figuratively fall, usually suddenly. With any building or man-made structure, a big concern is the structure collapsing. To prevent this, structures are reinforced to be as sturdy as possible.

   COLLAPSE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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   What does it mean if a stock market collapses?

   • To collapse means to fall over, cave in, or totally crumple. After finding out that the stock market has collapsed and your investments along with it, you'd probably collapse to the ground and sob uncontrollably. From the Latin collapsus, meaning “fall together," comes our English collapse, a word that functions as both noun and verb.

   Collapse - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

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   What does it mean if a roof collapses?

   • [intransitive] to fall down or fall in suddenly, often after breaking apart The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. Want to learn more? [intransitive] to fall down (and usually become unconscious), especially because you are very sick He collapsed in the street and died two hours later.

   collapse verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/collapse_1

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3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › collapseCollapse Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › collapse

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   collapse: [verb] to fall or shrink together abruptly and completely : fall into a jumbled or flattened mass through the force of external pressure.

4. www.dictionary.com › browse › collapseCOLLAPSE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › collapse

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   Collapse definition: to fall or cave in; crumble suddenly. See examples of COLLAPSE used in a sentence.

5. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishCOLLAPSE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   COLLAPSE definition: 1. to fall down suddenly because of pressure or having no strength or support: 2. If someone…. Learn more.

6. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › collapseCollapse - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › collapse

   To collapse means to fall over, cave in, or totally crumple. After finding out that the stock market has collapsed and your investments along with it, you'd probably collapse to the ground and sob uncontrollably.

7. www.collinsdictionary.com › english › collapseCOLLAPSE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › english › collapse

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   1 day ago · 6 meanings: 1. to fall down or cave in suddenly 2. to fail completely 3. to break down or fall down from lack of strength 4. to.... Click for more definitions.

8. dictionary.cambridge.org › collapseCOLLAPSE | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › collapse

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   COLLAPSE definition: 1. When someone collapses, they fall down, usually because they are sick or weak: 2. to fall down…. Learn more.

9. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › collapse_1collapse verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › collapse_1

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   6 [intransitive, transitive] collapse (something) to fold something into a shape that uses less space; to be able to be folded in this way synonym fold up The table collapses for easy storage. medical; 7 [intransitive, transitive] collapse (something) if a lung or blood vessel collapses or is collapsed, it falls in and becomes flat and empty