[apos.tro.phe] n [L, fr. Gk apostrophe, lit., act of turning away, fr. apostrephein to turn away, fr. apo- + strephein to turn] (1533): the addressing of a usu. absent person or a usu. personified thing rhetorically "Carlyle's "O Liberty, what things are done in thy name]" is an example of ~" -- ap.os.troph.ic adj
[2]apostrophe n [MF & LL; MF, fr. LL apostrophus, fr. Gk apostrophos, fr. apostrophos turned away, fr. apostrephein] (1727): a mark ' used to indicate the omission of letters or figures, the possessive case, or the plural of letters or figures -- apostrophic adj