bowdlerism

2 definitions found

bowdlerism - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Bowdlerize \Bowd"ler*ize\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bowdlerized; p.
     pr. & vb. n. Bowdlerizing.] [After Dr. Thomas Bowdler, an
     English physician, who published an expurgated edition of
     Shakespeare in 1818.]
     To expurgate, as a book, by omitting or modifying the parts
     considered offensive; to remove morally objectionable parts;
     -- said of literary texts.
  
     Syn: bowdlerise, expurgate, shorten, cut.
          [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]
  
                It is a grave defect in the splendid tale of Tom
                Jones . . . that a Bowdlerized version of it would
                be hardly intelligible as a tale.   --F. Harrison.
          [1913 Webster] -- Bowd`ler*i*za"tion, n. --
          Bowd"ler*ism, n.
          [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

bowdlerism - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Bowdlerism
      n 1: censorship in the form of prudish expurgation