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Definition of apostrophe


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a·pos·tro·phe 1  audio  (-pstr-f) KEY  

NOUN:
The superscript sign ( ' ) used to indicate the omission of a letter or letters from a word, the possessive case, or the plurals of numbers, letters, and abbreviations.

ETYMOLOGY:
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

OTHER FORMS:
apos·trophic   (p-strfk) KEY  (Adjective)


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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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