bastardy
Americannoun
-
the state or condition of being a bastard; illegitimacy.
-
the act of begetting a bastard.
noun
Etymology
Origin of bastardy
1400–50; late Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French bastardie. See bastard, -y 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Bracton does have a lot to say about monsters, duels, bastardy, concubines, sturgeon “and other royal fish,” the “pillory and the ducking-stool," and "a judgment with infamy.”
From Washington Post ● May 9, 2022
That in heraldry, a bend sinister indicates bastardy.
From New York Times ● Dec. 19, 2019
In condoning bastardy, North Dakota and Arizona are the most liberal States in the Union.
From Time Magazine Archive
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But the argument quickly picked up steam when the talk turned to bastardy among the bluebloods.
From Time Magazine Archive
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The law and its administration, on behalf of the parish, actually put a valuable premium on bastardy.
From Fragments of Two Centuries Glimpses of Country Life when George III. was King by Alfred Kingston
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.