What is "bowdlerism"

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.

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.