Elapse

Elapse is an intransitive verb meaning to pass or slip by, especially regarding time. When time moves forward, it elapses. In everyday usage, one speaks of time elapsing rather than something being elapsed. A common construction is "X hours have elapsed," or "time has elapsed." You typically cannot elapse a person or an object; you elapse time.

Etymology and forms: Elapse comes from Latin elabi, meaning to slip away, and entered English through earlier Romance languages. The verb is usually used without a direct object. The related adjective form is elapsing, as in "as time elapses," and the past participle elapsed is used in perfect tenses, for example, "Two hours have elapsed." The noun form elapsed time is common in technical or formal writing to denote the amount of time that has passed.

Usage notes: In formal or technical contexts, elapsed time is a standard term, especially in scheduling, computing, and experiments. In everyday speech, speakers often use phrases like time passed or time went by instead of elapse. The expression time elapsed is often contrasted with time remaining. The term can appear in phrases like "the elapsed time since the start" or "the elapsed interval between events." While precise, elapse is slightly more literary or formal than more everyday alternatives.