bastard

See also Bastard

English

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA: /ˈbɑːstə(ɹ)d/, /ˈbæstəd/
  • (US) IPA: /ˈbæstəɹd/
  • Audio (U.S.A.)
    		(file)

Etymology

From Middle English bastard, bastarde, from Late Old English bastard (“bastard”), from Anglo-Norman bastard (“illegitimate child”), from Old Low Frankish *bāst (“marriage”) (compare Middle Dutch bast (“lust, heat”)) and derogatory suffix -ard, from Proto-Germanic *banstuz (“bond, tie”) (compare West Frisian boask, boaste (“marriage”)), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie, bind”); or equivalent to bast +‎ -ard. Cognate with West Frisian bastert (“bastard”), Dutch bastaard (“bastard”), German Bastard (“bastard”), Icelandic bastarður (“bastard”). Probably originally referred to a child from a polygynous marriage of Germanic custom but not sanctioned by the Church.

Noun

bastard (plural bastards)

  1. A person who was born out of wedlock, and hence often considered an illegitimate descendant.
  2. A mongrel. A biological cross between different breeds, groups or varieties.
  3. (vulgar, referring to a man) A contemptible, inconsiderate, overly or arrogantly rude or spiteful person. See asshole, sod.
    Some bastard stole my car while I was helping an injured person.
    1997, South Park television program
    You killed Kenny, you bastards!
    I'll tell you one thing, you prick bastard, you know what I really hope for, pray for, and wish for?
    This makes them realize they're human and maybe makes them less likely to be insensitive to the people they have to come in contact with because if they act too much like bastards, sooner or later someone is going to pop them one.
    Jesus you are a cold bastard, you know that?
  4. (often humorous) A man, a fellow, a male friend.
    lucky bastard, poor bastard
    Get over here, you old bastard!
  5. (informal) A child that does not know his or her father.
  6. (informal) Something extremely difficult or unpleasant to deal with.
    Life can be a real bastard.
  7. A variation that is not genuine; something irregular or inferior or of dubious origin, fake or counterfeit.
    The architecture was a kind of bastard, suggesting Gothic but not being true Gothic.
  8. An intermediate-grade file; also bastard file.
  9. A sweet wine.
    • William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure:
      We shall have all the world drink brown and white bastard.
  10. A sword that is midway in length between a short-sword and a long sword; also bastard sword.
  11. (often preceded by 'poor') A person deserving of pity.
    Poor bastard, I feel so sorry for him.
    These poor bastards started out life probably in bad or broken homes.

Usage notes

  • (one born to unmarried parents): Not always regarded as a (religious) stigma (in canon law prohibitive for clerical office without papal indult): Norman duke William, the Conqueror of England, is referred to in state documents as "William the Bastard"; a Burgundian prince was even officially styled Great Bastard of Burgundy.

Synonyms

Derived terms

terms derived from bastard

Translations

person born to unmarried parents
mongrel
contemptible etc. person
humorously: man, fellow
informal: child that does not know his father
informal: something extremely difficult or unpleasant
variation that is not genuine
intermediate-grade steel file
longsword — see longsword
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Adjective

bastard (comparative more bastard, superlative most bastard)

  1. of or like a bastard (illegitimate human descendant)
  2. of or like a bastard (bad person)
  3. of or like a mongrel, bastardized creature/cross
  4. of abnormal, irregular or otherwise inferior qualities (size, shape etc.)
  5. spurious, lacking genuinity of authenticity: counterfeit, fake
  6. (UK, vulgar) Very unpleasant.
    I've got a bastard headache.

Translations

of or like a bastard (illegitimate human descendant)
of or like a bastard (bad person)
of or like a mongrel, bastardized creature/cross
of abnormal, irregular or otherwise inferior qualities (size, shape etc.)
spurious, lacking genuinity of authenticity

Interjection

bastard!

  1. (rare, vulgar) Exclamation of strong dismay or strong sense of being upset.

Translations

exclamation of dismay
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

bastard (third-person singular simple present bastards, present participle bastarding, simple past and past participle bastarded)

  1. (obsolete) To bastardize.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)

References

  • “bastard” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
  • “mongrel” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.

Anagrams

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Danish

Etymology

From Old French bastard.

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /bastard/, [b̥aˈsd̥ɑːˀd̥] or IPA: /bastar/, [b̥aˈsd̥ɑːˀ]

Noun

bastard c (singular definite bastarden, plural indefinite bastarder)

  1. crossbreed (an organism produced by mating of individuals of different varieties or breeds)
  2. mongrel (someone of mixed kind or uncertain origin, especially a dog)
  3. (dated) bastard (person who was born out of wedlock)

Inflection

    Inflection of bastard
common gender Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative, dative and accusative bastard bastarden bastarder bastarderne
genitive bastards bastardens bastarders bastardernes

Synonyms

  • (crossbreed): hybrid, krydsning
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Middle French

Alternative forms

Etymology

Old French bastard < Latin bastardus.

Noun

bastard m (plural bastars, feminine singular bastarde, feminine plural bastardes)

  1. bastard (child born outside of wedlock)

Adjective

bastard m (feminine singular bastarde, masculine plural bastars, feminine plural bastardes)

  1. bastard

Descendants

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Old French

Etymology

Late Latin bastardus, of Germanic origin, possibly Frankish.

Noun

bastard m (oblique plural bastards, nominative singular bastards, nominative plural bastard)

  1. bastard (person conceived to unmarried parents)
    • 12th Century, Unknown, Raoul de Cambrai:
      Vos savez bien qe je sui de bas lin, [e]t sui bastars
      You know well that I am of low birth, and I am a bastard
  2. (pejorative, usually vocative) bastard (insult)

Adjective

bastard m

  1. bastard (conceived by unmarried parents)

Declension

  Declension of bastard  
Number Case Masculine Feminine Neuter
Singular Subject bastards bastarde bastard
Oblique bastard bastarde bastard
Plural Subject bastard bastardes bastard
Oblique bastards bastardes bastard

Descendants

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Last modified on 6 May 2013, at 21:00