apocope

	Omitting a letter or syllable at the end of a word. A kind of metaplasm.

Examples
	*Omission of a final letter:* When Maro says "Achilli" for "Achillis" *Omission of a final syllable:* True art is nature to advantage dressed What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed. [for "often"] —Alexander Pope Season your admiration for awhile With an attent ear. [for "attentive"] —Shakespeare, Hamlet 1.2.192
Related Figures
	metaplasm Figures of Omission paragoge The addition of a lettter or syllable to the end of a word aphaeresis The omission of a syllable or letter at the beginning of a word. syncope Omitting letters or syllables from the middle of a word meiosis
See Also
	General Rhetorical Strategy: Omission

	Sources:	Isidore 1.35.3; Mosellanus ("apocope" "abcisio") a3v; Susenbrotus (1540) 21; Sherry (1550) 27 ("apocope," "absissio"); Wilson (1560) 200 ("cutting from the end");Peacham (1577) E2v

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Gideon O. Burton, Brigham Young University
Please cite "Silva Rhetoricae" (rhetoric.byu.edu)

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a-pok'-o-pe	from Gk. apo “away from” and koptein “to cut” ("a cutting off")
	*abissio, abscissio, abcisio, or absissio*
	*cutting from the end*