ppl. a. [f. L. collāps-us pa. pple. + -ED: see prec.]
1. Fallen together, as the sides of any cavity, through external pressure, or loss of rigidity or support; see COLLAPSE v. 1.
1620. Venner, Via Recta, vi. 104. Good for … a liuer collapsed by cold.
1782. A. Monro, Compar. Anat. (ed. 3), 36. The collapsed lungs of the fœtus.
1814. Cary, Dante’s Inf., VII. 15. As sails, full spread … Drop suddenly collapsed, if the mast split.
1835–6. Todd, Cycl. Anat., I. 57/1. The adipose vesicles are empty and collapsed.
2. fig. Ruined, broken down, fallen into decay.
1610. Mirr. Mag., 588 (R.).
| Then did he seeke to reerect againe | |
| The ruines of his Crownes collapsed state. |
1677. W. Hubbard, Narrative, II. 11. Matters of Government in those parts being since collapsed.
1688. Miège, Fr. Dict., s.v., Collapsed or decay’d, ruiné. As a collapsed Estate, un Bien ruiné.
1884. Pall Mall Gaz., 5 Dec., 4/2. Collapsed schemes of improvement.
† 3. Fallen away from a religious or spiritual position, ‘lapsed’: used in 17th c. of ‘perverts’ to the Church of Rome, and also in the theological sense of ‘fallen.’ Obs.
1609. Sir E. Hoby, Lett. to T. H[iggons], Ded. A ij. To all Romish collapsed Ladies of Great Britanie.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., III. iv. I. ii. (1676), 395/1. What else do our Papists?… Whom do they begin with but collapsed Ladies?
1626. L. Owen, Spec. Jesuit. (1629), 15.
a. 1640. Jackson, Creed, XI. xviii. Wks. X. 357. The nature or disposition of collapsed angels.
1667. Flavel, Saint Indeed (1754), 8. The depravedness and corruption of man in his collapsed state.
4. Completely prostrated in the vital powers or functions (cf. COLLAPSE sb. 2).
1843. J. Martineau, Chr. Life (1867), 330. To make the collapsed paralytic start up and run.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., X. XIX. v. 77. Collapsed by debaucheries into stupor of insanity.
1886. Fagge, Princ. & Pract. Med., I. 292. The patient actualiy dies collapsed before there has been any evacuation.
b. Completely broken down in mental energy.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Collapsed, slid, fallen down, discouraged.
1866. Carlyle, Remin. (1881), II. 291. I was … the most collapsed of men, and had no sunshine in my life.
