Apostrophe, à-pos'-tro-fe, s

a digre ion in the course of a speech, generally one in which a direct appeal is made to some one absent or dead as if he were present [Rhet.]; the contraction of a word word by the omi ion of a letter or letters, and the insertion ofa comma [Gram.]; the comma so used (Gr. apo, and strophe, turning) ap-o-str of.