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. ]