apostrophe

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UK/əˈpɒs.tɹə.fi/US/əˈpɑs.tɹə.fi/

noun

The text character ’, which serves as a punctuation mark in various languages and as a diacritical mark in certain rare contexts.

OriginFrench apostrophe ← Latin apostrophus ← Ancient Greek ἀπόστροφος →
Less commonScrabble 17
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Word of the Day · May 18, 2024

Meanings

apostrophe1

nounapostrophe (plural apostrophes)

plural apostrophes · alternative apostrophë · alternative apostrophy

  1. communicationsThe 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

apostrophe2

nounapostrophe (countable and uncountable, plural apostrophes)

plural apostrophes

  1. countablerhetoricuncountableA 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
    1 more example

    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

apostrophe3

noun
  1. biologyAn 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

Origin

apostrophe · noun

  1. Ancient Greekἀπόστροφος“accent of elision”
  2. Latinapostrophus
  3. Frenchapostrophe
  4. Englishapostrophe

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”).

More words from French, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

apostrophe · noun

  1. Ancient Greekἀποστροφή
  2. Latinapostrophe
  3. Englishapostrophe

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

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀπόστροφος
  • ἀπόστροφος (apóstrophos)the character ’
Arabic فَاصِلَة عُلْيَا, اِلْتِفَات
  • فَاصِلَة عُلْيَا (fāṣila ʕulyā)the character ’
  • اِلْتِفَات (iltifāt)sudden piece of dialogue
Bengali ঊর্ধকমা
  • ঊর্ধকমা (urdhokma)the character ’
Bulgarian апостро́ф, апостроф
  • апостро́ф (apostróf)the character ’
  • апостроф (apostrof)sudden piece of dialogue
Catalan apòstrof, apòstrofe
  • apòstrofthe character ’
  • apòstrofesudden piece of dialogue
Chinese Mandarin 省略符號 /省略符号, 隔音符號 /隔音符号
  • 省略符號 /省略符号 (shěnglüè fúhào)the character ’
  • 隔音符號 /隔音符号 (géyīn fúhào)the character ’
  • 省字符 (shěngzìfú)the character ’
  • 撇號 /撇号 (piěhào)the character ’
  • 頓呼 /顿呼 (dùnhū)the character ’
Czech apostrof, apostrofa
  • apostrofthe character ’
  • apostrofasudden piece of dialogue
Danish apostrof, apostrofe
  • apostrofthe character ’
  • apostrofesudden piece of dialogue
Dutch weglatingsteken, apostrof
  • weglatingstekenthe character ’
  • apostrofthe character ’
  • apostrofsudden piece of dialogue
Esperanto apostrofo
  • apostrofothe character ’
Estonian ülakoma, apostroof
  • ülakomathe character ’
  • apostroofthe character ’
Finnish heittomerkki, apostrofi
  • heittomerkkithe character ’
  • apostrofithe character ’
  • apostrofisudden piece of dialogue
French apostrophe, apostrophe
  • apostrophethe character ’
  • apostrophesudden piece of dialogue
German Apostroph, Hochkomma
  • Apostrophthe character ’
  • Hochkommathe character ’
  • Apostrophesudden piece of dialogue
Greek απόστροφος, αποστροφή
  • απόστροφος (apóstrofos)the character ’
  • αποστροφή (apostrofí)sudden piece of dialogue
Hebrew אַפּוֹסְטְרוֹף
  • אַפּוֹסְטְרוֹף (apostrof)the character ’
Hindi एपोस्ट्रोफ़ी, अपोस्ट्रॉफ़ी
  • एपोस्ट्रोफ़ी (eposṭrofī)the character ’
  • अपोस्ट्रॉफ़ी (aposṭrŏfī)the character ’
Hungarian aposztróf, hiányjel
  • aposztrófthe character ’
  • hiányjelthe character ’
Icelandic úrfellingarmerki
  • úrfellingarmerkithe character ’
Indonesian tanda penyingkat
  • tanda penyingkatthe character ’
Irish uaschamóg, apastróf
  • uaschamógthe character ’
  • apastrófthe character ’
  • aitheascsudden piece of dialogue
  • apastrófsudden piece of dialogue
Italian apostrofo, apostrofe
  • apostrofothe character ’
  • apostrofesudden piece of dialogue
Japanese アポストロフィー, アポストロフ
  • アポストロフィー (aposutorofī)the character ’
  • アポストロフ (aposutorofu)the character ’
  • 省略符号 (shōryaku fugō)the character ’
Korean 아포스트로피
  • 아포스트로피 (aposeuteuropi)the character ’
Latin apostrophus, apostropha
  • apostrophusthe character ’
  • apostrophasudden piece of dialogue
Latvian apostrofs
  • apostrofsthe character ’
Lithuanian apostrofas, apostrofa
  • apostrofasthe character ’
  • apostrofasudden piece of dialogue
Malay tanda penyingkat
  • tanda penyingkatthe character ’
Māori pakini
  • pakinithe character ’
Norwegian Bokmål apostrof
  • apostrofthe character ’
Polish apostrof, apostrofa
  • apostrofthe character ’
  • apostrofasudden piece of dialogue
Portuguese apóstrofo, apóstrofe
  • apóstrofothe character ’
  • apóstrofesudden piece of dialogue
Romanian apostrof, apostrof
  • apostrofthe character ’
  • apostrofsudden piece of dialogue
Russian апо́строф, апостро́ф
  • апо́строф (apóstrof)the character ’
  • апостро́ф (apostróf)the character ’
Scottish Gaelic ascair, asgair
  • ascairthe character ’
  • asgairthe character ’
Slovak apostrof
  • apostrofthe character ’
Spanish apóstrofo, apóstrofe
  • apóstrofothe character ’
  • apóstrofethe character ’
  • apóstrofesudden piece of dialogue
Swahili ritifaa, apostrofi
  • ritifaathe character ’
  • apostrofithe character ’
Swedish apostrof, apostrof
  • apostrofthe character ’
  • apostrofsudden piece of dialogue
Tagalog kudlit
  • kudlitthe character ’
Thai อะพอสทรอฟี
  • อะพอสทรอฟี (à-pɔ́ɔs-trɔɔ-fîi)the character ’
Turkish kesme işareti
  • kesme işaretithe character ’
Ukrainian апо́строф, апостро́ф
  • апо́строф (apóstrof)the character ’
  • апостро́ф (apostróf)the character ’
Urdu اَپاسْٹْرافی
  • اَپاسْٹْرافی (apāsṭrāfī)the character ’
Vietnamese dấu lược
  • dấu lượcthe character ’
Welsh collnod, sillgoll
  • collnodthe character ’
  • sillgollthe character ’
  • cyfarchiadsudden piece of dialogue
Yiddish אַפּאָסטראָף
  • אַפּאָסטראָף (apostrof)the character ’

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

protophase
Cite this entry
APA

apostrophe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apostrophe

MLA

“apostrophe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apostrophe. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apostrophe,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apostrophe.

Source: apostrophe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.