- Bastard
- Bastard Bas"tard, n. [OF. bastard, bastart, F. b?tard, prob.
fr. OF. bast, F. b?t, a packsaddle used as a bed by the
muleteers (fr. LL. bastum) + -ard. OF. fils de bast son of
the packsaddle; as the muleteers were accustomed to use their
saddles for beds in the inns. See Cervantes, ``Don Quixote,''
chap. 16; and cf. G. bankert, fr. bank bench.]
1. A ``natural'' child; a child begotten and born out of
wedlock; an illegitimate child; one born of an illicit
union.
[1913 Webster]
Note: By the civil and canon laws, and by the laws of many of the United States, a bastard becomes a legitimate child by the intermarriage of the parents at any subsequent time. But by those of England, and of some states of the United States, a child, to be legitimate, must at least be born after the lawful marriage. --Kent. Blackstone. [1913 Webster]
2. (Sugar Refining) (a) An inferior quality of soft brown sugar, obtained from the sirups that have already had several boilings. (b) A large size of mold, in which sugar is drained. [1913 Webster]
3. A sweet Spanish wine like muscatel in flavor. [1913 Webster]
Brown bastard is your only drink. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
4. A writing paper of a particular size. See {Paper}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
