Definitions for bowdlerize
ˈboʊd ləˌraɪz, ˈbaʊd-bowd·ler·ize

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. bowdlerize, bowdlerise, expurgate, castrate, shortenverb

   edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

   "bowdlerize a novel"

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. bowdlerizeverb

   To remove those parts of a text considered offensive, vulgar, or otherwise unseemly.

   The bowdlerized version of the novel, while free of vulgarity, was also free of flavor.

2. 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."

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. bowdlerize

   Expurgation, also known as bowdlerization, is a form of censorship that involves purging anything deemed noxious or offensive from an artistic work or other type of writing or media. The term bowdlerization is a pejorative term for the practice, particularly the expurgation of lewd material from books. The term derives from Thomas Bowdler's 1818 edition of William Shakespeare's plays, which he reworked in ways that he felt were more suitable for women and children. He similarly edited Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.A fig-leaf edition is such a bowdlerized text, deriving from the practice of covering the genitals of nudes in classical and Renaissance statues and paintings with fig leaves.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. bowdlerize

   To bowdlerize means to remove or alter parts of a work, such as a book, film, or play, which are considered offensive, vulgar, or inappropriate. This could also include modifying the work to make it more palatable or acceptable according to societal norms or standards. The term is derived from Thomas Bowdler, an English physician, who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare, removing what he considered indecent or inappropriate material.

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. [["1874","1"],["1893","2"],["1896","1"],["1901","22"],["1902","2"],["1903","2"],["1905","1"],["1906","4"],["1907","2"],["1910","2"],["1911","3"],["1912","6"],["1913","5"],["1914","8"],["1915","3"],["1916","3"],["1917","5"],["1918","1"],["1919","9"],["1920","6"],["1921","4"],["1922","3"],["1923","8"],["1924","11"],["1925","7"],["1926","9"],["1927","7"],["1928","9"],["1929","4"],["1930","19"],["1931","11"],["1932","13"],["1933","1"],["1934","6"],["1935","12"],["1936","16"],["1937","9"],["1938","11"],["1939","8"],["1940","8"],["1941","11"],["1942","4"],["1943","3"],["1944","18"],["1945","18"],["1946","12"],["1947","7"],["1948","13"],["1949","18"],["1950","22"],["1951","15"],["1952","30"],["1953","11"],["1954","16"],["1955","13"],["1956","9"],["1957","30"],["1958","13"],["1959","17"],["1960","35"],["1961","38"],["1962","48"],["1963","40"],["1964","26"],["1965","32"],["1966","47"],["1967","28"],["1968","40"],["1969","88"],["1970","55"],["1971","56"],["1972","59"],["1973","20"],["1974","30"],["1975","44"],["1976","47"],["1977","55"],["1978","44"],["1979","39"],["1980","52"],["1981","57"],["1982","59"],["1983","57"],["1984","67"],["1985","78"],["1986","83"],["1987","39"],["1988","68"],["1989","66"],["1990","69"],["1991","85"],["1992","105"],["1993","94"],["1994","90"],["1995","97"],["1996","98"],["1997","98"],["1998","99"],["1999","93"],["2000","113"],["2001","121"],["2002","121"],["2003","113"],["2004","148"],["2005","109"],["2006","139"],["2007","115"],["2008","146"]]

How to pronounce bowdlerize?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say bowdlerize in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of bowdlerize in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of bowdlerize in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=bowdlerize
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Bowdlerize
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowdlerize
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=bowdlerize