n. [ OF. bastard, bastart, F. b&unr_;tard, prob. fr. OF. bast, F. b&unr_;t, a packsaddle used as a bed by the muleteers (fr. LL. bastum) + -ard. OF. fils de bast son of the packsaddle; as the muleteers were accustomed to use their saddles for beds in the inns. See Cervantes, “Don Quixote, ” chap. 16; and cf. G. bankert, fr. bank bench. ]
☞ By the civil and canon laws, and by the laws of many of the United States, a bastard becomes a legitimate child by the intermarriage of the parents at any subsequent time. But by those of England, and of some states of the United States, a child, to be legitimate, must at least be born after the lawful marriage. Kent. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]
Brown bastard is your only drink. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
a.
That bastard self-love which is so vicious in itself, and productive of so many vices. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]
Bastard ashlar (Arch.),
Bastard file,
Bastard type (Print.),
Bastard wing (Zool.),
v. t. To bastardize. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. An act that debases or corrupts. [ chiefly Brit. ]
v. t. Same as bastardize. [ chiefly Brit. ] [ PJC ]
n. The state of being a bastard; bastardy. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. An act that debases or corrupts.
v. t.
The law is so indulgent as not to bastardize the child, if born, though not begotten, in lawful wedlock. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]
adj. (Arts) deriving from more than one source or style.
a. Bastardlike; baseborn; spurious; corrupt. [ Obs. ] --