1lapse 
/ˈlæps/ noun
plural laps·es /ˈlæps/ noun [count] 1 a : an occurrence in which you fail to think or act in the usual or proper way for a brief time and make a mistake
▪ He blamed the error on a minor mental lapse. ▪ As he grew older he began to have memory lapses. [=times when he forgot things that he should have remembered] — often + in ▪ a lapse in decorum/civility/judgment ▪ a serious lapse in security — often + of ▪ She had a brief lapse of attention/concentration.
b : an occurrence in which someone behaves badly for usually a short period of time
▪ moral lapses ▪ a politician who is being accused of ethical lapses [=accused of doing things that are not ethical]
c : a change that results in worse behavior
▪ a lapse into bad habits 2 : a period of time between events — often + of ▪ He returned to college after a lapse of several years. 3 : the ending of something that happens when the payments necessary for it to continue are not made — often + of ▪ the lapse of an insurance policy ▪ the lapse of a magazine subscription
▪ He blamed the error on a minor mental lapse. ▪ As he grew older he began to have memory lapses. [=times when he forgot things that he should have remembered] — often + in ▪ a lapse in decorum/civility/judgment ▪ a serious lapse in security — often + of ▪ She had a brief lapse of attention/concentration.
b : an occurrence in which someone behaves badly for usually a short period of time
▪ moral lapses ▪ a politician who is being accused of ethical lapses [=accused of doing things that are not ethical]
c : a change that results in worse behavior
▪ a lapse into bad habits
