bowdlerize
verb /ˈbaʊdləraɪz/
/ˈbaʊdləraɪz/
(British English also bowdlerise)
(usually disapproving)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they bowdlerize | /ˈbaʊdləraɪz/ /ˈbaʊdləraɪz/ |
| he / she / it bowdlerizes | /ˈbaʊdləraɪzɪz/ /ˈbaʊdləraɪzɪz/ |
| past simple bowdlerized | /ˈbaʊdləraɪzd/ /ˈbaʊdləraɪzd/ |
| past participle bowdlerized | /ˈbaʊdləraɪzd/ /ˈbaʊdləraɪzd/ |
| -ing form bowdlerizing | /ˈbaʊdləraɪzɪŋ/ /ˈbaʊdləraɪzɪŋ/ |
- bowdlerize something to remove the parts of a book, play, etc. that you think are likely to shock or offend people synonym expurgateWord OriginNamed after Dr Thomas Bowdler, who in 1818 produced a version of Shakespeare from which he had taken out all the material which he considered not suitable for family use.