BOWDLERISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bowdlerise mean? 

• BOWDLERISE (verb)
  The verb BOWDLERISE has 1 sense:

1. edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

  Familiarity information: BOWDLERISE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BOWDLERISE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they bowdlerise    ... he / she / it bowdlerises   
Past simple: bowdlerised   
Past participle: bowdlerised   
-ing form: bowdlerising   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

bowdlerise; bowdlerize; castrate; expurgate; shorten

Context example:

bowdlerize a novel

Hypernyms (to "bowdlerise" is one way to...):

abbreviate; abridge; contract; cut; foreshorten; reduce; shorten (reduce in scope while retaining essential elements)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They won't bowdlerise the story

Derivation:

Bowdler (English editor who in 1818 published an expurgated edition of the works of Shakespeare (1754-1825))

bowdlerisation (the act of deleting or modifying all passages considered to be indecent)

bowdlerisation (written material that has been bowdlerized)

bowdleriser (a person who edits a text by removing obscene or offensive words or passages)