EXPURGATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does expurgate mean? 

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

1. edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

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

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXPURGATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they expurgate    ... he / she / it expurgates   
Past simple: expurgated   
Past participle: expurgated   
-ing form: expurgating   

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 "expurgate" 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 expurgate the story

Derivation:

expurgation (the deletion of objectionable parts from a literary work)

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