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Bowdler

Definition:

A bowdler is someone who removes or censors offensive or inappropriate content from a literary work, often with the intention of making it more appropriate for a particular audience.

Noun:

1. (General) A person who edits or censors a literary work to remove offensive or inappropriate content.

2. (Specific) Thomas Bowdler, a physician and editor known for publishing an expurgated edition of William Shakespeare's plays in the 19th century, aimed at providing a more "family-friendly" version of the works.

Sample sentences:

• The bowdler took out all the explicit scenes in the novel to make it suitable for a younger audience.
• Thomas Bowdler's expurgated edition of Shakespeare's plays was heavily criticized by literary scholars.

Related Products:

Expurgated Books

Literary Criticism