bowdlerize

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: bowd=ler=ize

CIDE DICTIONARY

bowdlerize, v. t. [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.  [1913 Webster]
"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."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bowdlerize, v.tr. (also -ise) expurgate (a book etc.).

Derivative

bowdlerism n. bowdlerization n.

Etymology

T. Bowdler (d. 1825), expurgator of Shakesp.

THESAURUS

bowdlerize

abbreviate, abridge, bleach, blot out, blue-pencil, cancel, censor, clean, clean out, clean up, cleanse, clear out, cross out, cut, delete, delouse, depurate, deterge, dry-clean, dust, dust off, edit, edit out, erase, expunge, expurgate, freshen, kill, lustrate, omit, purge, purify, reform, rescind, rub out, scavenge, spruce, steam-clean, strike, strike off, strike out, sweep out, sweeten, tidy, void, whiten, wipe, wipe off, wipe out, wipe up