Lewis & Short

2. lapsus, ūs, m. [1. labor], a falling, fall; a slipping, sliding, gliding, running, flowing, flying, flight, etc. (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: ac celeri ferme percurrunt fulmina lapsu, Lucr. 6, 324: atque ea, quae lapsu tandem cecidere vetusto, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 11, 19: infrenis equi lapsu jacens, Verg. A. 10, 750: tum quassao nutant turres, lapsumque minantur, Luc. 6, 136: horrere lapsus tectorum assiduos, Juv. 3, 8.
    Of a landslide: locus recenti lapsu terrae abruptus, Liv. 21, 36, 2: lapsu scalarum exanimatus, by falling down stairs, Plin. 7, 37, 37, § 124: ut neque sustinere se a lapsu possent, Liv. 21, 35 fin.: puerilium dentium, the shedding, Sen. Ben. 4, 6, 6: si lacus emissus lapsu et cursu suo ad mare profluxisset, Cic. Div. 1, 44, 100: (stellae) certo lapsu spatioque feruntur, course, id. ib. 1, 11, 17; cf.: medio volvuntur sidera lapsu, Verg. A. 4, 524: molli zephyros descendere lapsu adspiciunt, Val. Fl. 1, 686: accepere deae, celerique per aethera lapsu, periere, etc., id. 1, 91: volucrum lapsus, flight, Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 99; cf.: facili lapsu ad deos pervolare, id. Fragm. ap. Lact. 3, 18 (19), 6: gemini lapsu delubra ad summa dracones Effugiunt, Verg. A. 2, 225: vitis serpens multiplici lapsu et erratico, Cic. de Sen. 15, 52: rotarum, i. e. rolling wheels, Verg. A, 2, 236 (cf. τροχῶν βάσεις, Soph. Elect. 718; and remigium alarum = alae, Verg. A. 1, 301): arte materna rapidos morantem Fluminum lapsus, i. e. flumina, Hor. C. 1, 12, 10.
    1. B. Transf., of the effects of a fall; in plur.: contra ulcera, rupta, lapsusque, bruises, contusions received in falling, Plin. 22, 17, 20, § 43.
  2. II. Trop., a failing, error, fault (rare but class.): amor lapsum animi ludificat, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 11: ab omni lapsu continere temeritatem, to restrain one’s rashness in believing from leading him into error, Cic. Ac. 1, 12, 45: cum sint populares multi variique lapsus, of losing popularity, id. de Or. 2, 83, 339: haud alius fidei pronior lapsus, quam ubi, etc., Plin. 5, 1, 1, § 12.