n. (pl. prolepses)
1. the anticipation and answering of possible objections in rhetorical speech.
2 anticipation.
3 the representation of a thing as existing before it actually does or did so, as in he was a dead man when he entered.
4 Gram. the anticipatory use of adjectives, as in paint the town red.
Derivatives:
proleptic adj.
Etymology: LL f. Gk prolepsis f. prolambano anticipate (as PRO-(2), lambano take)