Past tense of 'elapse', meaning time that has passed or gone by, especially in reference to a measured duration.
From Latin 'elapsus', past participle of 'elabi' meaning 'to slip away', from 'ex-' (out) + 'labi' (to slip or glide). The word entered English in the 17th century, maintaining the metaphorical sense of time slipping away like water.
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