apostrophe
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apostrophe
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark that primarily serves to indicate either grammatical possession or the contraction of two words. It can also sometimes be used to pluralize irregular nouns, such as single letters, abbreviations, and single-digit numbers.
a·pos·tro·phe 1
(ə-pŏs′trə-fē)n.
The superscript sign ( ' ), usually used to indicate the omission of a letter or letters from a word, the possessive case, or the plurals of numbers, letters, and abbreviations.
[French, from Late Latin apostrophus, from Greek apostrophos, from apostrephein, to turn away : apo-, apo- + strephein, to turn; see streb(h)- in Indo-European roots.]
ap′os·troph′ic (ăp′ə-strŏf′ĭk) adj.
a·pos·tro·phe 2
(ə-pŏs′trə-fē)n.
The direct address of an absent or imaginary person or of a personified abstraction, especially as a digression in the course of a speech or composition.
[Late Latin apostrophē, from Greek, from apostrephein, to turn away; see apostrophe1.]
ap′os·troph′ic (ăp′ə-strŏf′ĭk) adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
apostrophe
(əˈpɒstrəfɪ)n
the punctuation mark ' used to indicate the omission of a letter or number, such as he's for he has or he is, also used in English to form the possessive, as in John's father and twenty pounds' worth
[C17: from Late Latin, from Greek apostrophos mark of elision, from apostrephein to turn away]
apostrophe
(əˈpɒstrəfɪ)n
(Rhetoric) rhetoric a digression from a discourse, esp an address to an imaginary or absent person or a personification
[C16: from Latin apostrophē, from Greek: a turning away, digression]
apostrophic adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
a•pos•tro•phe1
(əˈpɒs trə fi)n.
the sign ('), as used: to indicate the omission of one or more letters in a word, whether unpronounced, as in o'er for over, or pronounced, as in gov't for government; to indicate the possessive case, as in woman's; or to indicate plurals of abbreviations and symbols, as in several M.D.'s, 3's.
[1580–90; < Middle French < Late Latin apostrophus < Greek apóstrophos (prosōidía) eliding (mark), <apostréphein to turn away = apo- + stréphein to turn; see strophe]
ap•os•troph•ic (ˌæp əˈstrɒf ɪk) adj.
a•pos•tro•phe2
(əˈpɒs trə fi)n.
a digression in the form of an address to someone not present, or to a personified object or idea.
[1525–35; < Late Latin < Greek apostrophḗ a turning away, n. derivative of apostréphein; see apostrophe 1]
ap•os•troph•ic (ˌæp əˈstrɒf ɪk) adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
apostrophe
a variety of personification in which the dead, absent, or inanimate are addressed as if present. — apostrophic, adj.
See also: Rhetoric and Rhetorical Devices -Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
apostrophe
1. A punctuation mark (’) used to show that a letter has been omitted or to indicate possession, such as in “David’s house.”
2. The act of addressing a person or object, whether present or not, while in the middle of a discourse.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Noun 1. apostrophe - address to an absent or imaginary person
rhetorical device - a use of language that creates a literary effect (but often without regard for literal significance)
2. [画像:apostrophe - the mark (') used to indicate the omission of one or more letters from a printed word]apostrophe - the mark (') used to indicate the omission of one or more letters from a printed word
punctuation mark, punctuation - the marks used to clarify meaning by indicating separation of words into sentences and clauses and phrases
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
апостроф
apostrof
apostrof
heittomerkkiapostrofi
apostrofapostrofaizostavnik
aposztróf
apostrophe
úrfellingarmerki
アポストロフィ
아포스트로피
apostrofa
apostrofs
apostrof
apostrof
apostrofopuščaj
apostrof
เครื่องหมายวรรคตอน
kesme imi kesme işareti tepeden virgül
dấu móc lửng
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
apostrophe
n
(Gram) → Apostroph m
(Liter) → Apostrophe f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
apostrophe
(əˈpostrəfi) noun a mark (') which is used to show that a letter or letters has/have been omitted from a word, and which is also used in possessive phrases and in the plurals of letters. the boy's coat; the boys' coats; There are two n's in `cannot' but only one in `can't'. apostroof عَلامَة المُلْكِيَّة، إشارَة إلى حَذْف حَرْف апостроф apóstrofe apostrof der Apostroph apostrof απόστροφος apóstrofo ülakoma آپوستروف heittomerkki apostrophe גרש वर्णलोप का चिह्न apostrof aposztróf tanda petik úrfellingarmerki apostrofo アポストロフィ 아포스트로피(') apostrofa apostrofs terbalik apostrof apostrof apostrof غړوندی apóstrofe apostrof апостроф apostrof apostrof apostrof apostrof[tecken] เครื่องหมายวรรคตอน ( ' ) kesme işareti, tepeden virgül 撇號 апостроф حذفی علامت ، حذفیہ dấu móc lửng (') 撇号
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
apostrophe
→ عَلامَة تُدِلُّ عَلَى حَذْف حَرْف apostrof apostrof Apostroph απόστροφος apóstrofe , apóstrofo heittomerkki apostrophe apostrof apostrofo アポストロフィ 아포스트로피 apostrof apostrof apostrof apóstrofo апостроф apostrof เครื่องหมายวรรคตอน kesme imi dấu móc lửng 撇号Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009