1. To fall together suddenly, as the sides of a hollow vessel; to close by falling or shrinking together; to
have the sides or parts of (a thing) fall in together, or be crushed in together; as, a flue in the boiler of a
steam engine sometimes collapses.
A balloon collapses when the gas escapes from it.
Maunder.
2. To fail suddenly and completely, like something hollow when subject to too much pressure; to undergo
a collapse; as, Maximilian's government collapsed soon after the French army left Mexico; many financial
projects collapse after attaining some success and importance.
Collapse
(Col*lapse") n.
1. A falling together suddenly, as of the sides of a hollow vessel.
2. A sudden and complete failure; an utter failure of any kind; a breakdown. [Colloq.]
3. (Med.) Extreme depression or sudden failing of all the vital powers, as the result of disease, injury,
or nervous disturbance.
Collapsion
(Col*lap"sion) n. [L. collapsio.] Collapse. [R.] Johnson.
Collar
(Col"lar) n. [OE. coler, coller, OF. colier, F. collier, necklace, collar, fr. OF. col neck, F. cou,
fr. L. collum; akin to AS. heals, G. & Goth. hals. Cf. Hals, n.]
1. Something worn round the neck, whether for use, ornament, restraint, or identification; as, the collar
of a coat; a lady's collar; the collar of a dog.
2. (Arch.) (a) A ring or cincture. (b) A collar beam.
3. (Bot.) The neck or line of junction between the root of a plant and its stem. Gray.
4. An ornament worn round the neck by knights, having on it devices to designate their rank or order.
5. (Zoöl.) (a) A ringlike part of a mollusk in connection with esophagus. (b) A colored ring round the
neck of a bird or mammal.
6. (Mech.) A ring or round flange upon, surrounding, or against an object, and used for restraining
motion within given limits, or for holding something to its place, or for hiding an opening around an object; as,
a collar on a shaft, used to prevent endwise motion of the shaft; a collar surrounding a stovepipe at
the place where it enters a wall. The flanges of a piston and the gland of a stuffing box are sometimes
called collars.
7. (Naut.) An eye formed in the bight or bend of a shroud or stay to go over the masthead; also, a rope
to which certain parts of rigging, as dead-eyes, are secured.
8. (Mining) A curb, or a horizontal timbering, around the mouth of a shaft. Raymond.
Collar beam (Arch.), a horizontal piece of timber connecting and tying together two opposite rafters; —
also, called simply collar. — Collar of brawn, the quantity of brawn bound up in one parcel. [Eng.]
Johnson. — Collar day, a day of great ceremony at the English court, when persons, who are dignitaries
of honorary orders, wear the collars of those orders. — To slip the collar, to get free; to disentangle
one's self from difficulty, labor, or engagement. Spenser.
Collar
(Col"lar), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Collared ; p. pr. & vb. n. Collaring.]
1. To seize by the collar.
