Word.ws English Dictionary

illapse

Syllables: il·lapse/ɪˈlæps/

illapse noun: a gliding in; an immission or entrance of one thing into another.

Noun

illapse (plural illapses)

  1. (rare) A gliding in; an immission or entrance of one thing into another.
    • The illapſe of some pre-existent or animating formative Principle, which we may well call the Soul or Anima, that as in the Generation of Mankind by ordinary procreation we ſee the formative power is ſome refined active Spirit or Soul in ſemine deliteſcens, that faſhions the Matter, and actuates it...1677, Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind: Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: Printed by William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery […] , →OCLC, page 320
    • Now it is certain, that no Man was more poſitive, as to the Conſecration of the Holy Euchariſt by the Illapſe of the Holy Spirit, than St. Chrysoſtom; and therefore the Reaſon, why he did not come into the Meaſures of Theophilus, muſt be, that he was not convinced, that Origen was guilty of that...1714, John Johnson, The Unbloody Sacrifice, and Altar Unvail'd and Supported; in which the Nature of the Eucharist is Explain'd According to the Sentiments of the Christian Church in the Four First...
  2. (rare) A sudden descent or attack.
    • […] That as a piece of Iron red hot by reaſon of the Illapſe of the fire into it appears all over like fire; ſo the Souls of the Bleſſed by this Illapſe of the Divine Eſſence into them ſhall be all over Divine.1683, John Norris, An Idea of Happiness, in a Letter to a Friend: Enquiring wherein the Greatest Happiness Attainable by Man in this Life does Consist, London: Printed for James Norris at the Kings...
    • […] Thus Life redoubles, and is oft preſerv'd, / By the bold Swimmer, in the ſwift Illapſe / Of Accident diſaſtrous. […]1727, James Thomson, Summer: A Poem, London: Printed for J. Millan, →OCLC, page 50

Verb

illapse (third-person singular simple present illapses, present participle illapsing, simple past and past participle illapsed)

  1. (rare) Usually followed by into: to fall or glide; to pass.
    • The illapſe of some pre-existent or animating formative Principle, which we may well call the Soul or Anima, that as in the Generation of Mankind by ordinary procreation we ſee the formative power is ſome refined active Spirit or Soul in ſemine deliteſcens, that faſhions the Matter, and actuates it...1677, Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind: Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: Printed by William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery […] , →OCLC, page 320
    • The ſcenes of the Iliad illapſed in glowing colours to her fancy – ſcenes, once the haunt of heroes – now lonely, and in ruins; but which ſtill ſhone, in the poet's ſtrain, in all their youthful ſplendour.1794, Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, a Romance; Interspersed with Some Pieces of Poetry. […] In Four Volumes, 2nd edition, volume II, London: Printed for G. G. and J. Robinson...

Examples of illapse in a sentence

  • Now it is certain, that no Man was more poſitive, as to the Conſecration of the Holy Euchariſt by the Illapſe of the Holy Spirit, than St.1714, John Johnson, The Unbloody Sacrifice, and Altar Unvail'd and Supported; in which the Nature of the Eucharist is Explain'd According...
  • Some indeed pretend to feel the illapſe of the holy ſpirit; and to fix the moment, when it enters the heart.1804, William Gilpin, Sermons Preached to a Country Congregation: To which are Added, a Few Hints for Sermons; Intended Chiefly for the Use...
  • They say no graces; but when their meal is on the table, they sit silent and in a thoughtful posture for a short time, waiting for an illapſe of the Spirit.1807 April, Francis Jeffrey, “A Portraiture of Quakerism, as Taken from a View of the Moral Education, Discipline, Peculiar Customs...
  • His life illapsed in a calm and uniform tenour, devoid of strong passion or perturbation of any kind.1836 June 11, “The Capuchin. Written by the Comte Peyronnet during his Imprisonment at Ham. Translated from the French.”, in The Parterre...

Forms of illapse

Noun
pluralillapses
Verb
third-person singular presentillapses
present participleillapsing
past participleillapsed
pastillapsed

Origin of illapse

From Latin illapsus (“a falling, gliding, or flowing in; an irruption”); from illābor (“to fall, to slide”) + -tus (“suffix forming action nouns from verbs”).

Words that rhyme with illapse

5 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about illapse

What does illapse mean?
Illapse means a gliding in; an immission or entrance of one thing into another.
How do you use illapse in a sentence?
Now it is certain, that no Man was more poſitive, as to the Conſecration of the Holy Euchariſt by the Illapſe of the Holy Spirit, than St.
What part of speech is illapse?
Illapse can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce illapse?
Illapse is pronounced /ɪˈlæps/ (UK).
What is the plural of illapse?
The plural of illapse is illapses.

Words near illapse in the dictionary

  1. Illampu
  2. Illano
  3. Illanun
  4. Illapel
  5. illapsable
  6. illapse
  7. illapsed
  8. illapses
  9. illapsing
  10. illaqueable
  11. illaqueate

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: illapse (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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