elapse

/ɪˈlæps/

to pass or go by

Several hours will elapse before the train arrives.

Several hours will pass before the train arrives.

formal

to pass or go by, especially time

The meeting will elapse in an hour.

The meeting will end or pass in an hour.

Time elapses quickly when you're having fun.

Time passes quickly when you're having fun.

Often used with time-related nouns like 'hours', 'minutes', or 'days'.

Collocations

time elapsestime passesa period elapsesa period of time passes

Use 'elapse' when referring to the passage of time in a formal or technical context.

From Middle English 'elapsen', from Latin 'elapsus', past participle of 'elabi' (to slip out), from 'e-' (out) + 'labi' (to slip).

Often used in formal or technical contexts to describe the passage of time in a precise or measured way.

out

prefix

lapse

to slip or pass

root

English Dictionary