bastard

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Contents

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

  • bäs'tə(r)d, /ˈbɑːst(r)d/, /bA:st@(r)d/
  • băs'tə(r)d, /ˈbæstə(r)d/, /b{st@(r)d/

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English from Anglo-Norman from Medieval Latin bastardus (“‘illegitimate child’”) of Germanic origin from Proto-Germanic *bāst- *bōst- (“‘marriage’”) + -ard. Akin to Old Frisian bost (“‘marriage’”) from Proto-Germanic *bandstu- (“‘to unite’”) from Proto-Indo-European *bhendh- (“‘to tie, bind’”). An alternate source derives it from Old French "child of a nobleman by a woman other than his wife" possibly from Old French fils de bast "packsaddle son", meaning a child conceived on an improvised bed; as saddles often doubled as beds while traveling, with pejorative ending -art, -ard. Lastly the word may derive from another Proto-Germanic root *banstiz (“‘barn’”), again suggestive of low (peasant) origin.

[edit] Noun

Singular
bastard

Plural
bastards

bastard (plural bastards)

  1. Person who was born out of wedlock, hence often considered an illegitimate descendant.
  2. A mongrel. A biological cross between different breeds, groups or varieties.
  3. (vulgar referring to a man) A contemptible, inconsiderate, overly or arrogantly rude or spiteful person. See asshole, sod.
    • Some bastard stole my car while I was helping an injured person.
  4. (often humorous) A man, a fellow, a male friend.
    • lucky bastard, poor bastard
    • Get over here, you old bastard!
  5. (informal) : A child that does not know his father.
  6. (informal) : Something extremely difficult or unpleasant to deal with.
    • Life can be a real bastard.
  7. A variation that is not genuine; something irregular or inferior or of dubious origin, fake or counterfeit.
    • The architecture was a kind of bastard, suggesting Gothic but not being true Gothic.
  8. An intermediate-grade steel file; also : bastard file.
  9. A long, straight, narrow sword, with an undecorated hilt; a longsword.

[edit] Usage notes

(one born to unmarried parents): Not always regarded as a (religious) stigma (in canon law prohibitive for clerical office without papal indult): Norman duke William, the Conqueror of England, is referred to in state documents as "William the Bastard"; a Burgundian prince was even officially styled Great Bastard of Burgundy.

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Derived terms

terms derived from bastard

[edit] Translations

person born to unmarried parents
mongrel
contemptible etc. person
humorously: man, fellow
informal: child that does not know his father
informal: something extremely difficult or unpleasant
variation that is not genuine
intermediate-grade steel file
longsword — see longsword
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

[edit] Adjective

bastard (comparative more bastard, superlative most bastard)

Positive
bastard

Comparative
more bastard

Superlative
most bastard

(stub)

  1. of or like a bastard (illegitimate human descendant)
  2. of or like a bastard (bad person)
  3. of or like a mongrel, bastardized creature/cross
  4. of abnormal, irregular or otherwise inferior qualities (size, shape etc.)
  5. spurious, lacking genuinity of authenticity: counterfeit, fake

[edit] Translations

of or like a bastard (illegitimate human descendant)
of or like a bastard (bad person)
of or like a mongrel, bastardized creature/cross
of abnormal, irregular or otherwise inferior qualities (size, shape etc.)
spurious, lacking genuinity of authenticity

[edit] Interjection

bastard!

  1. (vulgar) Exclamation of strong dismay or strong sense of being upset.

[edit] Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

[edit] References

[edit] Anagrams

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