Word Study
bowdlerisation |
bowdlerise |
bowdleriser |
bowdlerism |
bowdlerization |
bowdlerize
| bowdlerizer
| bowed
| bowed down
| bowed stringed instrument
| bowel
bowdlerize
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Verb bowdlerize has 1 sense
- bowdlerize(v = verb.change) bowdlerise, castrate, expurgate, shorten - edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate; "bowdlerize a novel" is one way to abbreviate, abridge, contract, cut, foreshorten, reduce, shorten
Derived forms noun bowdlerization2, noun bowdlerization1, noun bowdlerizer1
Sample sentence:
They won't bowdlerize the story
CIDE DICTIONARY
bowdlerize, v. t. [After Dr. Thomas Bowdler , an English physician, who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare in 1818.].
To expurgate, as a book, by omitting or modifying the parts considered offensive; to remove morally objectionable parts; -- said of literary texts. [1913 Webster]
"It is a grave defect in the splendid tale of Tom Jones . . . that a Bowdlerized version of it would be hardly intelligible as a tale."
[1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
bowdlerize, v.tr. (also -ise) expurgate (a book etc.).
Derivative
bowdlerism n. bowdlerization n.
Etymology
T. Bowdler (d. 1825), expurgator of Shakesp.
THESAURUS
bowdlerize
abbreviate, abridge, bleach, blot out, blue-pencil, cancel, censor, clean, clean out, clean up, cleanse, clear out, cross out, cut, delete, delouse, depurate, deterge, dry-clean, dust, dust off, edit, edit out, erase, expunge, expurgate, freshen, kill, lustrate, omit, purge, purify, reform, rescind, rub out, scavenge, spruce, steam-clean, strike, strike off, strike out, sweep out, sweeten, tidy, void, whiten, wipe, wipe off, wipe out, wipe up
For further exploring for "bowdlerize" in Webster Dictionary Online
