bowdlerizev.
/ˈbaʊdlərʌɪz/ transitive. To expurgate (a book or writing), by omitting or modifying words or passages considered indelicate or offensive; to castrate.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > printing > post-printing processes > [verb (transitive)] > make imperfect, cut off or destroy part of book
mutilate1534
castrate1627
emasculate1756
bowdlerize1836
pith1852
society > leisure > the arts > literature > literary and textual criticism > textual criticism > practise textual criticism [verb (transitive)] > emend > remove objectionable passages from
castrate1627
expurge1635
expurgate1678
bowdlerize1836
censor1882
1836 T. P. Thompson Let. 8 June in Exercises (1842) IV. 124 Among the names..are many, like Hermes, Nereus..which modern ultra-christians would have thought formidably heathenish; while Epaphroditus and Narcissus they would probably have Bowdlerized.
1869 Westm. Rev. Jan. It is gratifying to add that Mr. Dallas has resisted the temptation to Bowdlerize.
1881 G. Saintsbury Dryden 9 Evil counsellors who wished him to bowdlerise glorious John.
1883 Church Times 703/4 It [Henry IV] is Bowdlerized, to be sure, but that is no evil for school purposes.
Derivatives
ˈbowdlerism n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > literary and textual criticism > textual criticism > [noun] > emendation of text > removal of objectionable passages
expurgation1608
expurging1635
castration1797
censorship1856
bowdlerism1869
bowdlerization1882
bowdlerizing1886
1869 Pall Mall Gaz. 4 Aug. 12 We doubt whether Juvenal..can be read with advantage at the age when Bowdlerism, as a moral precaution, would be desirable.
1878 Athenæum 6 Apr. False squeamishness or inclination to Bowdlerism.
ˌbowdleriˈzation n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > literary and textual criticism > textual criticism > [noun] > emendation of text > removal of objectionable passages
expurgation1608
expurging1635
castration1797
censorship1856
bowdlerism1869
bowdlerization1882
bowdlerizing1886
1882 Westm. Rev. Apr. 583 The bowdlerization..is done in an exceedingly awkward and clumsy fashion.
ˈbowdlerized adj.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > literary and textual criticism > textual criticism > version of text > [adjective] > having (objectionable) passages removed
castrated1609
expurgated1831
expurgate1832
bowdlerized1879
1879 F. Harrison Choice Bks. (1886) 63 A Bowdlerised version of it would be hardly intelligible as a tale.
ˈbowdlerizer n.
ˈbowdlerizing n. and adj.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > literary and textual criticism > textual criticism > [noun] > emendation of text > removal of objectionable passages
expurgation1608
expurging1635
castration1797
censorship1856
bowdlerism1869
bowdlerization1882
bowdlerizing1886
1886 T. H. Huxley in 19th Cent. Apr. 489 We may fairly inquire whether editorial Bowdlerising has not prevailed over historic truth.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1887; most recently modified version published online March 2019).
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v.1836