bowdlerize
Definitions
To remove parts of a book, play, etc. that are considered offensive or indecent, often weakening it
删改（书籍、剧本等中不雅或冒犯的内容）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedBowdler (a surname) + -ize ('to act in the manner of'). From Thomas Bowdler, who in 1818 published a Shakespeare with all the 'indecent' bits cut out. His name became a verb for prudish censorship — a vivid example of -ize coining a verb from a person.
Why It Means This
An eponym — a word made from a person's name. Bowdler genuinely thought he was improving Shakespeare for families, but later generations used 'bowdlerize' with a sneer: it implies the censorship is squeamish, heavy-handed, and damaging to the original. It sits alongside galvanize, mesmerize, and pasteurize as -ize verbs born from real people.
Common Collocations
- 1.bowdlerize a text删改文本
- 2.heavily bowdlerized被大幅删改的
Example Sentences
- 1.
The publisher bowdlerized the novel to make it suitable for schools.
- 2.
Critics complained that the new edition had been badly bowdlerized.