/ep"euh lep'see/ , n. Pathol.
a disorder of the nervous system, characterized either by mild, episodic loss of attention or sleepiness (petit mal) or by severe convulsions with loss of consciousness (grand mal) .
[ 1570-80; epilepsia epilepsía epileptic seizure, equiv. to epílept ( os ) suffering from epilepsy (verbid of epilambánein to get hold of, attack; epi- EPI- + lambánein to seize) + -ia -Y 3 , with ti > si ]