~ 1 [ ə'pɒstrəfi ]
■ noun a punctuation mark (') used to indicate either possession (e.g. Harry ' s book ) or the omission of letters or numbers (e.g. can ' t ; 1 Jan. ' 99 ).
Origin
C16: via late L., from Gk apostrophos , from apostrephein 'turn away'.
Usage
Use the ~ when indicating possession ( Sue's cat ) or the omission of letters or numbers ( he's gone , 1 Jan. ' 99 ). Do not use it to form the plural of ordinary words, as in apple's , or in possessive pronouns such as hers , yours , or theirs . See also usage at its .
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~ 2 [ ə'pɒstrəfi ]
■ noun Rhetoric an exclamatory passage in a speech or poem addressed to a person or personified thing.
Origin
C16: via L. from Gk apostrophē 'turning away', from apostrephein 'turn away'.