house collapse; family decline
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesverb
(of a house, especially traditional wooden structures) to collapse; (of roof trusses) to fall down
dialectChiefly used in northern Chinese dialects (e.g., Beijing dialect) to describe the structural failure of traditional timber-framed buildings.
This old house had been neglected for years and had already collapsed.
After that heavy rain, the three tiled houses at the east end of the village collapsed.
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Without timely repairs, even the sturdiest beams will inevitably give way.
verb
(figurative) (of a family or household) to fall into decline; to go bankrupt; to come down in the world; to lose one's fortune
dialectA metaphorical extension of the literal sense of structural collapse, used chiefly in dialects to describe the decline of a once-prosperous family.
Ever since the old master passed away, the family has gone into decline and can never return to its former glory.
Their family lost money in business a few years ago and has long since gone bankrupt; now they have even sold their house.
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Don't be fooled by his plain clothes now; his family used to be landlords, they just fell on hard times.