apostrophe

²apostrophe

noun

Definition of APOSTROPHE

: a mark ' used to indicate the omission of letters or figures, the possessive case, or the plural of letters or figures

— apostrophic adjective

Origin of APOSTROPHE

French & Late Latin; French, from Late Latin apostrophus, from Greek apostrophos, from apostrophos turned away, from apostrephein

First Known Use: 1727

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile