COLLAPSE

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does collapse mean? 

• COLLAPSE (noun)
  The noun COLLAPSE has 4 senses:

1. an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion

2. a natural event caused by something suddenly falling down or caving in

3. the act of throwing yourself down

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

  Familiarity information: COLLAPSE used as a noun is uncommon.

• COLLAPSE (verb)
  The verb COLLAPSE has 7 senses:

1. break down, literally or metaphorically

2. collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack

3. fold or close up

4. fall apart

5. cause to burst

6. suffer a nervous breakdown

7. lose significance, effectiveness, or value

  Familiarity information: COLLAPSE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COLLAPSE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

collapse; prostration

Context example:

the commander's prostration demoralized his men

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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

the collapse of the old star under its own gravity

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"):

debacle; fiasco (a sudden and violent collapse)

implosion (a sudden inward collapse)

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

Derivation:

collapse (break down, literally or metaphorically)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of throwing yourself down

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

collapse; flop

Context example:

he landed on the bed with a great flop

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

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

Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

collapse; crash

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)

• COLLAPSE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they collapse    ... he / she / it collapses   
Past simple: collapsed   
Past participle: collapsed   
-ing form: collapsing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Break down, literally or metaphorically

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

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

Context example:

The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice

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 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

break down; collapse

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 3

Meaning:

Fold or close up

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

collapse the music stand

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)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Fall apart

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

break down; collapse; crumble; crumple; tumble

Context example:

Negotiations broke down

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

change integrity (change in physical make-up)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cause to burst

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

burst; collapse

Context example:

The ice broke the pipe

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:

Suffer a nervous breakdown

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

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

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 7

Meaning:

Lose significance, effectiveness, or value

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The stock market collapsed

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))

 Context examples 

A disorder characterized by the collapse of part or the entire lung.

(Atelectasis, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

The collapse of part or the entire lung due to airway obstruction, infection, tumor, or general anesthesia.

(Atelectasis, NCI Thesaurus)

Stars are born when a cloud of gas hundreds of times more massive than our Sun begins to collapse under its own gravity.

(ALMA Captures Dramatic Stellar Fireworks, ESO)

Most often affecting the epiphysis of the long bones, the necrotic changes result in the collapse and the destruction of the bone structure.

(Avascular Necrosis of Bone, NCI Thesaurus)

Batabulin covalently binds to beta tubulin, resulting in a disruption of microtubule polymerization, collapse of the cytoskeleton, cell cycle arrest, and tumor cell apoptosis.

(Batabulin, NCI Thesaurus)

The formation and rapid collapse of bubbles in a fluid.

(Cavitation, NCI Thesaurus)

As apoptotic endothelial cells detach from their substrata, tumor blood vessels collapse; the acute disruption of tumor blood flow may result in tumor necrosis.

(Carbon C 14 Ombrabulin, NCI Thesaurus)

The scientists found this shortening of lifespan to be consistent with the nature of the proteome collapse process.

(Study reveals how collapse of protein processes is driver of aging and death, National Science Foundation)

A neutron star is the crushed core left behind when a star much more massive than the Sun runs out of fuel, collapses under its own weight and explodes as a supernova.

(NASA’s Fermi Mission Links Nearby Pulsar’s Gamma-ray ‘Halo’ to Antimatter Puzzle, NASA)

The new view reveals nine protostars, areas where the nebula's clouds are collapsing and creating the first step in the birth of stars, that had not been seen before.

(SOFIA Reveals How the Swan Nebula Hatched, NASA)