n. (pl. syllepses) a figure of speech in which a word is applied to two others in different senses (e.g. caught the train and a bad cold) or to two others of which it grammatically suits one only (e.g. neither they nor it is working) (cf. ZEUGMA). sylleptic adj. sylleptically adv.
[ LL f. Gk sullepsis taking together f. sullambano: see SYLLABLE ]