1. (v.i.)collapse to fall or cave in; crumble suddenly.
2. collapse to be made so that sections or parts can be folded up, as for storage.
3. collapse to break down; fail utterly: The peace talks have collapsed.
4. collapse to fall unconscious or fall down, as from a heart attack or exhaustion.
5. collapse (of lungs) to come into an airless state.
6. collapse to fall or decline suddenly, as in value.
7. (v.t.)collapse to cause to collapse.
8. (n.)collapse a falling in, down, or together: trapped by the collapse of a tunnel.
9. collapse a sudden, complete failure; breakdown.
Etymology: (1725–35; < L collāpsus, ptp. of collābī to fall, fall in ruins =col-col -1+lābī to fall)
Definition of 'Collapse'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (noun)collapse, prostration an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion "the commander's prostration demoralized his men"
2. (noun)collapse a natural event caused by something suddenly falling down or caving in "the roof is in danger of collapse"; "the collapse of the old star under its own gravity"
3. (noun)flop, collapse the act of throwing yourself down "he landed on the bed with a great flop"
4. (verb)crash, collapse a sudden large decline of business or the prices of stocks (especially one that causes additional failures)
5. (verb)collapse, fall in, cave in, give, give way, break, founder break down, literally or metaphorically "The wall collapsed"; "The business collapsed"; "The dam broke"; "The roof collapsed"; "The wall gave in"; "The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice"
6. (verb)break down, collapse collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack
7. (verb)collapse fold or close up "fold up your umbrella"; "collapse the music stand"
8. (verb)crumble, crumple, tumble, break down, collapse fall apart "the building crumbled after the explosion"; "Negotiations broke down"
9. (verb)collapse, burst cause to burst "The ice broke the pipe"
1. (verb)collapse (of person) to fall down and lose consciousness He collapsed and died the next day.
2. collapse (of building or structure) to fall down The mine walls had collapsed.
3. collapse (of process or system) to fail a regime that is collapsing; Peace talks soon collapsed.; his sudden collapse; the collapse of the dictatorship
Definition of 'Collapse'
Webster Dictionary
1. (noun)Collapse a falling together suddenly, as of the sides of a hollow vessel
2. (noun)Collapse a sudden and complete failure; an utter failure of any kind; a breakdown
3. (noun)Collapse extreme depression or sudden failing of all the vital powers, as the result of disease, injury, or nervous disturbance
4. (verb)Collapse to fall together suddenly, as the sides of a hollow vessel; to close by falling or shrinking together; to have the sides or parts of (a thing) fall in together, or be crushed in together; as, a flue in the boiler of a steamengine sometimes collapses
5. (verb)Collapse to fail suddenly and completely, like something hollow when subject to too much pressure; to undergo a collapse; as, Maximilian's government collapsed soon after the French army left Mexico; many financial projects collapse after attaining some success and importance