bowdlerise

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Alternative spellings 1.2 Etymology 1.3 Pronunciation 1.4 Verb 1.4.1 Derived terms 1.5 See also

[edit] English

[edit] Alternative spellings

• bowdlerize (chiefly US)

[edit] Etymology

From Thomas Bowdler who in 1818 published a censored version of Shakespeare, expurgating "those words and expressions [...] which cannot with propriety be read aloud in a family."

[edit] Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈbəʊl.dɜː(ɹ).aɪz/, SAMPA: /"b@Ul.d3:(r).aIz/

[edit] Verb

to bowdlerise (third-person singular simple present bowdlerises, present participle bowdlerising, simple past and past participle bowdlerised)

1. To remove those parts of a text considered offensive, vulgar or adult in nature.

   the bowdlerised version of the text, while free of vulgarity, was also free of flavour

2. (by extension) To remove those parts of a text considered to be damaging to an authority.

[edit] Derived terms

• bowdlerisation
• bowdleriser
• bowdlerism

[edit] See also

• censor
• expunge
• expurgate