Definition of "Lapse" :

noun: a failure to maintain a higher state

noun: a mistake resulting from inattention

noun: a break or intermission in the occurrence of something

"A lapse of three weeks between letters."

verb: go back to bad behavior

verb: drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards

verb: end, at least for a long time

"The correspondence lapsed."

verb: pass into a specified state or condition

verb: pass by

"Three years elapsed."

verb: let slip

"He lapsed his membership."