I.to glide forward, to slide or slip along, to fall down (class.; in Cic. most freq. in a trop. sense).
I. Lit.: at Canis ad caudam serpens prolabitur Argo, Cic. poët. N. D. 2, 44, 114; Prop. 1, 20, 47: ruit prolapsa moles, of the sea, Att. ap. Cic. N. D. 2, 35, 89: “collapsus pons, usque alterius initium pontis prolabi eum leniter cogebat: alii elephanti pedibus insistentes, alii clunibus subsidentes prolabebantur,” to slide along ... slide forward, Liv. 44, 5 sqq.: velut si prolapsus cecidisset, terram osculo contigit. id. 1, 56: “equus prolapsum per caput regem effudit,” falling down, id. 27, 32: “ex equo,” id. 27, 27: “ex arbore altā prolapsus,” Plin. 27, 8, 45, § 69; Ov. Ib. 223; cf.: “prolapsus in cloacae foramen,” Suet. Gram. 2: “prolapsa Pergama,” fallen down, fallen to ruin, Verg. A. 2, 555: “Laodicea tremore terrae prolapsa,” Tac. A. 14, 27.—
II. Trop.
A. To go forward, go on, to proceed or come to, fall into any thing: me longius prolapsum esse, quam ratio vestri judicii postularit, have gone farther, i. e. have said more, Cic. Caecin. 35, 101: “libenter ad istam orationem tecum prolaberer,” would go on, be led on, id. Leg. 1, 20, 52: “in misericordiam prolapsus est animus,” Liv. 30, 12: “in rabiem,” Tac. A. 1, 31: “ad seditiones,” id. ib. 4, 18: “ad jurgia,” id. ib. 2, 10: “ad superbiam,” id. ib. 11, 17 fin.; Amm. 23, 6, 1.—
B. To slip out, escape: “ne quod ab aliquā cupiditate prolapsum verbum videatur,” Cic. Font. 13, 28 (9, 18).—
C. To fall, fail, err: “timore,” Cic. Quint. 24, 77: “cupiditate,” id. Att. 1, 17, 19: “cupiditate regni,” Liv. 40, 23: “nimio juvandi mortales studio,” Plin. 28, 8, 29, § 118.—
D. To fall to decay, to sink, decline, go to ruin: “huc unius mulieris libido est prolapsa, ut, etc.,” Cic. Cael. 20, 47; cf.: “eo prolapsi sunt mores, ut, etc.,” Sen. Contr. 15: “ita prolapsa est (juventus), ut coërcenda sit,” Cic. Div. 2, 2, 4: “ad id prolapsae,” Tac. A. 12, 53: “in aliquod dedecus,” Val. Max. 2, 1, 5: “prolapsum clade Romanum imperium,” Liv. 23, 5, 14: “rem temeritate ejus prolapsam restituit,” id. 6, 22; 45, 19: “studio magnificentiae,” Tac. A. 3, 55.—
E. To fall away from grace (eccl. Lat.), Vulg. Heb. 6, 6.
