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apostrophe

noun [C]
 
 
/əˈpɒs.trə.fi/ US  /-ˈpɑː.strə-/

Definition

B2 the symbol ’ used in writing to show when a letter or a number has been left out, as in I'm (= I am) or '85 (= 1985), or that is used before or after s to show possession, as in Helen's house or babies' hands: 'It's' with an apostrophe means 'it is' or 'it has'.Punctuation sometimes used before s to show the plural of a number or a letter: There are two p's in 'supper'.Punctuation
(Definition of apostrophe noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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