apostrophizev.
/əˈpɒstrəfʌɪz/, U.S. /əˈpɑstrəˌfaɪz/ I. From apostrophe n.1
1.
a. Rhetoric. To address with or in an apostrophe.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > figure of speech > figures of structure or thought > express with figure of structure or thought [verb (transitive)] > apostrophize
to exclaim at, on, upon1583
apostrophize1725
1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey III. xiv. Observ. 342 Homer's manner of apostrophizing Eumæus.
1767 L. Sterne Life Tristram Shandy IX. xxx. 127 Best of honest and gallant servants!—But I have apostrophiz'd thee, Trim! once before.
1825 W. Scott Betrothed ii, in Tales Crusaders I. 28 ‘And what though thou, O scroll,’ he said, apostrophizing the letter..‘doest speak with the tongue of the stranger.’
b. absol. or intransitive.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > figure of speech > figures of structure or thought > use figure of structure or thought [verb (intransitive)] > apostrophize
apostrophize1824
1824 T. F. Dibdin Libr. Compan. 228 Indeed, apostrophising and mystifying apart.
1865 Pall Mall Gaz. 19 June 4 That additional half-hour of hesitation, repetition, and apostrophizing on his part.
II. From apostrophe n.2
2. To omit one or more letters of a word; to mark with the sign (') the omission of letters.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > writing > written character > punctuation > punctuate [verb (transitive)] > omission marks
apostrophize1611
blank1789
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Apostropher..to apostrophise; to cut off (by an Apostrophe) the last vowell of a word.
1818 tr. Matthiæ's Grk. Gram. (1829) I. 49 The apostrophized word is often contracted into one with the following word [e.g.] διὸ..more correctly written δι' ὅ.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1885; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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