| Apostrophe (apostrophe) |
|---|
| n. | ((?)) |
|---|
| A*pos"tro*phe |
| [(1) L., fr. Gr. (?)
a turning away, fr. (?) to turn away; (?) from + (?) to turn. (2) F., fr.
L. apostrophus apostrophe, the turning away or omitting of a letter,
Gr. (?).] |
A figure of speech by
which the orator or writer suddenly breaks off from the previous method of
his discourse, and addresses, in the second person, some person or thing,
absent or present; as, Milton's apostrophe to Light at the beginning
of the third book of "Paradise Lost."
The contraction of a word by the
omission of a letter or letters, which omission is marked by the character
['] placed where the letter or letters would have been; as, call'd
for called.
The mark ['] used to denote that a word is
contracted (as in ne'er for never, can't for can not), and as
a sign of the possessive, singular and plural; as, a boy's hat, boys' hats.
In the latter use it originally marked the omission of the letter
e.
|
Why Donate?
Here are a number of reasons:
To indicate your approval.
To express your appreciation.
To help pay for website expenses and keep this website online.
Donate Using PayPal
If you have a major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) or a PayPal account, donating is easy. Just click the dollar amount below to donate:
Donations from Outside of the United States
We welcome donations from anywhere in the world and in any currency. PayPal accepts a number of international currencies.
Donations by Other Methods
If you wish to donate via direct bank deposit or mail a cheque or money order, please
email me
.
|
|
In celebration of Noah Webster's Birthday (October 16, 2009), we have prepared an updated website. 