Word: bastard Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English bastard, bastarde, from Old English bastard (used as an epithet), from Anglo-Norman bastard, Old French bastart (“illegitimate child”), perhaps via Medieval Latin bastardus, of obscure origin. Likely from Frankish *bāst (“marriage, relationship”) + Old French -ard, -art (pejorative suffix denoting a specific quality or condition). Frankish *bāst derives from a North Sea Germanic variety of Proto-Germanic *banstuz (“bond, connection, relationship, marriage with a second woman of lower status”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie, bind”) and is related to West Frisian boaste (“marriage, matrimony”), Middle Dutch bast (“lust, heat”), and more distantly to English boose (“cow-stall”). The term probably originally referred to a child from a polygynous marriage of heathen Germanic custom — a practice not sanctioned by the Christian churches. Alternatively, and less likely, Old French bastart may have originated from the Old French term fils de bast (“packsaddle son”), meaning a child conceived on an improvised bed (medieval saddles often doubled as beds while travelling). However chronology makes this difficult, as bastard is attested in Old French from 1089 (Middle Latin bastardus as early as 1010), yet Old French bast (modern French bât), though attested since 1130 with the meaning of "beast of burden", doesn't acquire the specific meaning of "packsaddle" until the 13c., making it too late to have given rise to the terms bastard and bastardus with this sense. The French Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales supports the Germanic theory further above as being most likely. Pronunciation: /ˈbɑːs.təd/, /ˈbæs.tæd/, /ˈbæs.tɚd/ 1. A person who was born out of wedlock, and hence often considered an illegitimate descendant. Labels: countable, dated, uncountable Example: Jarrod: Who are you? Heath: Your father’s bastard son. 2. A mongrel (biological cross between different breeds, groups or varieties). Labels: countable, uncountable 3. A contemptible, inconsiderate, overly or arrogantly rude or spiteful person. Labels: countable, derogatory, offensive, uncountable, usually, vulgar Example: Some bastard stole my car while I was helping an injured person. Example: You sick bastard! 4. A man, a fellow, a male friend. Labels: countable, endearing, humorous, uncountable Example: lucky bastard Example: funny bastard 5. A suffering person deemed deserving of compassion. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Poor bastard, I feel so sorry for him. Example: These poor bastards started out life probably in bad or broken homes. 6. A child who does not know their father. Labels: countable, informal, uncountable 7. Something extremely difficult or unpleasant to deal with. Labels: countable, informal, uncountable Example: Life can be a real bastard. 8. A variation that is not genuine; something irregular or inferior or of dubious origin, fake or counterfeit. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The architecture was a kind of bastard, suggesting Gothic but not being true Gothic. Example: There were also made good and politic laws that parliament, against usury, which is the bastard use of money... 9. A bastard file. Labels: countable, uncountable 10. A kind of sweet wine. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: […] we ſhall haue all the world drinke browne & white baſtard. 11. A sword that is midway in length between a short-sword and a long sword; also bastard sword. Labels: countable, uncountable 12. An inferior quality of soft brown sugar, obtained from syrups that have been boiled several times. Labels: countable, uncountable 13. A large mould for straining sugar. Labels: countable, uncountable 14. A writing paper of a particular size. Labels: countable, uncountable 15. A Eurosceptic Conservative MP, especially in the government of John Major. Labels: UK, countable, derogatory, uncountable Example: If you are a politician, you make sure that you know all such references in case an interviewer suddenly asks, 'Are you one of the bastards in Mr Major's cabinet?' Example: While John Major managed to get the Maastricht Treaty through parliament, despite the efforts of the “bastards” in his cabinet, the 2001 Conservative General Election campaign was fought on entirely eurosceptic lines.