apocope

[ uh-pok-uh-pee ]

/ əˈpɒk əˌpi /

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noun

loss or omission of the last letter, syllable, or part of a word.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of apocope

1585–95; <Late Latin <Greek apokopḗ a cutting off, equivalent to apokóp(tein) to cut off (apo-apo- + kóptein to cut) + -ē noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM apocope

ap·o·cop·ic

[ap-uh-kop-ik], /ˌæp əˈkɒp ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby apocope

apocatastasis, apocenter, apochromat, apochromatic, apocopate, apocope, apocrine, apocrypha, apocryphal, Apocryphal Gospels, apocynaceous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use apocope in a sentence

You will understand that it has one, when I tell you that we have here a very curious case of apocope.
Atlantida|Pierre Benoit
For it is easy to show that with regard to syncope, apocope, elision, and slurring they are treated quite in the same way.
A History of English Versification|Jakob Schipper
Does not the final 'y' of 'tawny' suppose an apostrophe and apocope?
The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1 of 2)|Frederic G. Kenyon

British Dictionary definitions for apocope

apocope

/ (əˈpɒkəpɪ) /

noun

omission of the final sound or sounds of a word

Word Origin for apocope

C16: via Late Latin from Greek apokopē, from apokoptein to cut off

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012