Bowdlerism

Bowdlerism
Bowdlerize Bowd"ler*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bowdlerized}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bowdlerizing}.] [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.

Syn: bowdlerise, expurgate, shorten, cut. [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]

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. --F. Harrison. [1913 Webster] -- {Bowd`ler*i*za"tion}, n. -- {Bowd"ler*ism}, n. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • bowdlerism — See bowdlerize. * * * …   Universalium

  • bowdlerism — n. literary censorship (named after Thomas Bowdler who published a censored version of Shakespeare s works) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • bowdlerism — bowd·ler·ism …   English syllables

  • Bowdlerism — noun censorship in the form of prudish expurgation • Hypernyms: ↑censoring, ↑censorship * * * ˈbōdləˈrizəm, ˈbau̇d noun ( s) Etymology: T. Bowdler + English ism …   Useful english dictionary

  • bowdlerize — bowdlerism, n. bowdlerization, n. bowdlerizer, n. /bohd leuh ruyz , bowd /, v.t., bowdlerized, bowdlerizing. to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. Also, esp. Brit., bowdlerise. [1830… …   Universalium

  • bowdlerizer — See bowdlerism. * * * …   Universalium

  • bowdlerization — See bowdlerism. * * * …   Universalium

  • BOWDLER, THOMAS —    an English physician; edited expurgated editions of Shakespeare and Gibbon in the interest of moral purity; added in consequence a new term to the English language, Bowdlerism (1754 1825) …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Bowdler —    , BOWDLERIZE    Thomas Bowdler (1754 1825) was born near Bath, England. His father was a strict disciplinarian who prescribed that his son be a physician. The father s prescription was filled only partly, however. Although Thomas became a… …   Dictionary of eponyms

  • bowdlerize — or bowdlerise baʊdlərʌɪz verb remove from (a text) material regarded as improper or offensive. Derivatives bowdlerism noun bowdlerization noun Origin C19: from the name of Dr Thomas Bowdler, who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare …   English new terms dictionary

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