1570s, "the taking of something anticipated as already done or existing," from Latin prolepsis, from Greek prolepsis "an anticipating," literally "a taking beforehand," from prolambanein "to take before," from pro- "before" (see pro-) + lambanein "to take" (see analemma). Related: Proleptic; proleptical; proleptically.
prolepsis pro·lep·sis (prō-lěp'sĭs)
n. pro·lep·ses (-sēz)
The return of paroxysms of a recurrent disease at intervals that progressively become shorter.
