See Also: apostrophe(1)(dictionary)
apostrophe(2)(dictionary)
apostrophe(dictionary)

apostrophe(2) (iou)



apostrophe noun2. Also apostrophus. M16.
[French, or late Latin apostrophus from Greek apostrophos mark of elision, use as noun (sc. prosodia accent) of adjective 'turned away', from apostrephein: see APOSTROPHE noun1.]
The omission of one or more letters in a word. M16-M17.
A sign (') used to indicate the omission of one or more letters or numerals (as in can't, o'er, 'cello; spirit of '76 (i.e. 1776)), or in marking the possessive case (man's, boys'). L16.