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apostrophe

apostrophe¹ definition

apos·tro·phe (ə päs′trə fē)

noun

words addressed to a person or thing, whether absent or present, generally in an exclamatory digression in a speech or literary writing

Etymology: L < Gr apostrophē, a turning away from the audience to address one person < apostrephein < apo-, from + strephein, to turn: see strophe

Related Forms:

apostrophic ap′·os·troph′ic (ap′ə sträf′ik) adjective

apostrophe² definition

apos·tro·phe (ə päs′trə fē)

noun

a mark (') used:

to indicate the omission of a letter or letters from a word or phrase (Ex.: o' for of, it's for it is)
to form the possessive case of English nouns and some pronouns (Ex.: Mary's dress, the girls' club, one's duty)
to form some plurals, as of figures and letters (Ex.: five 6's, dot the i's)

Etymology: Fr < LL apostrophus < Gr apostrophos (prosōidia), averted (accent): see apostrophe

Related Forms: