1. The use of the same word or phrase at the beginning of several successive clauses, sentences, lines, or verses; usually for emphasis or rhetorical effect; as in, "She didn't speak. She didn't stand. She didn't even look up when we came in." 2. A reference to a word or phrase used earlier; especially, to avoid repeating the word or phrase by replacing it with something else; such as, a pronoun. In the sentence "I told Paul to close the door and he did it," the clause "he did it" makes use of anaphora.
3. The offering of the bread and wine in some Christian Communion celebrations.
4. From Greek through Latin, anapherein, "carry back; reference, repetition".