lapse

Short definition from Wiktionary

Noun

1. 1
   A temporary failure; a slip.
2. 2
   A decline or fall in standards.
3. 3
   A pause in continuity.
4. 4
   An interval of time between events.
5. 5
   A termination of a right etc., through disuse or neglect.
6. 6
   A marked decrease in air temperature with increasing altitude because the ground is warmer than the surrounding air.
7. 7
   A common-law rule that if the person to whom property is willed were to die before the testator, then the gift would be ineffective.
8. 8
   A fall or apostasy.

Verb

1. 1
   To fall away gradually; to subside.
2. 2
   To fall into error or heresy.
3. 3
   To slip into a bad habit that one is trying to avoid.
4. 4
   To become void.
5. 5
   To fall or pass from one proprietor to another, or from the original destination, by the omission, negligence, or failure of somebody, such as a patron or legatee.