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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

apostrophe en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /əˈpɑs.tɹə.fi/ (US)
  • (Australia) audio
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • (US) audio
  • /əˈpɒs.tɹə.fi/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From French apostrophe, or Latin apostrophus, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστροφος (apóstrophos, “accent of elision”), a noun use of an adjective from ἀποστρέφω (apostréphō, “to turn away”), from ἀπό (apó, “away from”) + στρέφω (stréphō, “to turn”).

Meanings

  1. The text character ’, which serves as a punctuation mark in various languages and as a diacritical mark in certain rare contexts.
    • Since its inception the apostrophe has been a controversial piece of punctuation. 2021, Claire Cock-Starkey, Hyphens & Hashtags, Bodleian Library, page 30:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
apostrophy alternative lexicographic
apostrophes Number=Plur lexicographic
apostrophë alternative lexicographic

Deriveds

straight apostrophe · printer's apostrophe · greengrocer's apostrophe · vertical apostrophe · apostrophectomy · typewriter apostrophe · greengrocers' apostrophe · typographical apostrophe · rogue apostrophe · idiot's apostrophe · typographic apostrophe · apostrophise · apostropheless · apologetic apostrophe · apostrophed · curly apostrophe

Relateds

bracket · stroke · period · question mark · quotation marks · curly brackets · full stop · space · square bracket · hyphen · ellipsis · interrobang · Canada) · dash · interpunct · exclamation mark · brace · colon · guillemet · bracket · quotation marks · slash · semicolon · fraction slash · parentheses (US · comma

Translations (104)

de Hochkomma (the character ’) · ga apastróf (the character ’) · pt apóstrofo (the character ’) · tr kesme işareti (the character ’) · sw apostrofi (the character ’) · es apóstrofe (the character ’) · hu hiányjel (the character ’) · th อะพอสทรอฟี (the character ’) · sh àpostrof (the character ’) · pl apostrof (the character ’) · lb Apostroph (the character ’) · az apostrof (the character ’) · id tanda penyingkat (the character ’) · el απόστροφος (the character ’) · is úrfellingarmerki (the character ’) · bn ঊর্ধকমা (the character ’) · cy sillgoll (the character ’) · cmn 隔音符號 /隔音符号 (the character ’) · lt apostrofas (the character ’) · ml വിശ്ലേഷം (the character ’) · ja アポストロフィー (the character ’) · gl apóstrofo (the character ’) · si උඩු කොමා (the character ’) · cmn 省略符號 /省略符号 (the character ’) · ast apóstrofu (the character ’) · da apostrof (the character ’) · srn kotimarki (the character ’) · arz أپوستروف (the character ’) · sk apostrof (the character ’) · ilo tuldek (the character ’) · vi dấu lược (the character ’) · ug ىسقارتىش بەلگىسى (the character ’) · de Apostroph (the character ’) · mi pakini (the character ’) · mk апостроф (the character ’) · cmn 省字符 (the character ’) · gd asgair (the character ’) · hi एपोस्ट्रोफ़ी (the character ’) · ru апостро́ф (the character ’) · fr apostrophe (the character ’) · it apostrofo (the character ’) · ja アポストロフ (the character ’) · hi अपोस्ट्रॉफ़ी (the character ’) · sw ritifaa (the character ’) · nl weglatingsteken (the character ’) · eo apostrofo (the character ’) · tg апостроф (the character ’) · tt апостроф (the character ’) · sl apostrof (the character ’) · sh izòstavnik (the character ’) · sl opuščaj (the character ’) · ka აპოსტროფი (the character ’) · ia apostropho (the character ’) · tl kudlit (the character ’) · hu aposztróf (the character ’) · sq apostrof (the character ’) · he אַפּוֹסְטְרוֹף (the character ’) · cmn 撇號 /撇号 (the character ’) · lv apostrofs (the character ’) · tk apostrof (the character ’) · yi אַפּאָסטראָף (the character ’) · fa-ira آپوسْتْروف (the character ’) · gv apostrophee (the character ’) · gd ascair (the character ’) · ms tanda penyingkat (the character ’) · hy ապաթարց (the character ’) · ky апостроф (the character ’) · kw kollverkys (the character ’) · kk апостроф (the character ’) · be апо́страф (the character ’) · ca apòstrof (the character ’) · io apostrofo (the character ’) · ur اَپاسْٹْرافی (the character ’) · sh а̀построф (the character ’) · sh изо̀ставник (the character ’) · kw kollverk (the character ’) · uk апостро́ф (the character ’) · ro apostrof (the character ’) · grc ἀπόστροφος (the character ’) · ar فَاصِلَة عُلْيَا (the character ’) · cs apostrof (the character ’) · fa-ira آپاسْتْروف (the character ’) · es apóstrofo (the character ’) · uk апо́строф (the character ’) · ko 아포스트로피 (the character ’) · nl apostrof (the character ’) · ga uaschamóg (the character ’) · cy collnod (the character ’) · hy ապոստրոֆ (the character ’) · ny nkhodolero (the character ’) · sv apostrof (the character ’) · ru апо́строф (the character ’) · cmn 頓呼 /顿呼 (the character ’) · et ülakoma (the character ’) · ja 省略符号 (the character ’) · fi apostrofi (the character ’) · la apostrophus (the character ’) · nb apostrof (the character ’) · bg апостро́ф (the character ’) · fi heittomerkki (the character ’) · ug ئاجرىتىش بەلگىسى (the character ’) · nn apostrof (the character ’) · uz apostrof (the character ’) · mn апостроф (the character ’)

apostrophe en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /əˈpɑs.tɹə.fi/ (US)
  • (Australia) audio
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • (US) audio
  • /əˈpɒs.tɹə.fi/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Latin apostrophe, from Ancient Greek ἀποστροφή (apostrophḗ), from ἀποστρέφω (apostréphō, “to turn away”), from ἀπό (apó) + στρέφω (stréphō, “to turn”).

Meanings

  1. (countable, rhetoric, uncountable) A sudden exclamatory piece of dialogue addressed to someone or something, especially absent.
    • Apostrophe a bold digression makes, Mov'd by some sudden thought the theme awakes. 1835, L[arret] Langley, “[Rhetorical Figures.] Apostrophe.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 28:
    • The warm apostrophe of Riccardini to this little representative of his parents, whom he called "the son of his love, the child of his old age, the gift of his beloved niece, on the behalf of his angel-daughter," affected them all;... 1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXXIV, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 139:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
apostrophes Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

apostrophic · apostrophize · apostrophically

Relateds

catastrophe

Translations (28)

es apóstrofe (sudden piece of dialogue) · fr apostrophe (sudden piece of dialogue) · sh апо̀строфа (sudden piece of dialogue) · nl apostrof (sudden piece of dialogue) · sh apòstrofa (sudden piece of dialogue) · ro apostrof (sudden piece of dialogue) · cy cyfarchiad (sudden piece of dialogue) · ia apostrophe (sudden piece of dialogue) · el αποστροφή (sudden piece of dialogue) · ast apóstrofe (sudden piece of dialogue) · hy ապաթարց (sudden piece of dialogue) · ar اِلْتِفَات (sudden piece of dialogue) · la apostropha (sudden piece of dialogue) · it apostrofe (sudden piece of dialogue) · mk апостро́фа (sudden piece of dialogue) · cs apostrofa (sudden piece of dialogue) · lt apostrofa (sudden piece of dialogue) · ca apòstrofe (sudden piece of dialogue) · pt apóstrofe (sudden piece of dialogue) · ga aitheasc (sudden piece of dialogue) · fi apostrofi (sudden piece of dialogue) · bg апостроф (sudden piece of dialogue) · gl apóstrofe (sudden piece of dialogue) · ga apastróf (sudden piece of dialogue) · de Apostrophe (sudden piece of dialogue) · da apostrofe (sudden piece of dialogue) · pl apostrofa (sudden piece of dialogue) · sv apostrof (sudden piece of dialogue)

apostrophe en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

  • /əˈpɑs.tɹə.fi/ (US)
  • (Australia) audio
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • (US) audio
  • /əˈpɒs.tɹə.fi/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Meanings

  1. An arrangement of chlorophyll grains perpendicular to the outer surface of plant cells, as opposed to epistrophe (an arrangement on the outer surface).
    • As is well known, chloroplast in the epistrophe position presents an oval or more or less circular form; in the apostrophe position a flattened and lenticular form. 1905 September 8, Harold Wager, “On Some Problems of Cell Structure and Physiology”, in English Mechanics and the World of Science, volume 82, number 2111, page 105: