bas·tard / ˈbastərd/ • n. 1. archaic or derog. a person born of parents not married to each other.2. inf. an unpleasant or despicable person: he lied to me, the bastard! ∎  a person (used to suggest an emotion such as pity or envy): the poor bastard. ∎  a difficult or awkward thing, undertaking, or situation: it's been an absolute bastard of a week.• adj. 1. archaic or derog. born of parents not married to each other; illegitimate: a bastard child.2. (of a thing) no longer in its pure or original form; debased: a bastard Darwinism.DERIVATIVES: bas·tar·dy n. (in sense 1 of the noun ).ORIGIN: Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin bastardus.

bastard XIII. — OF. bastard (mod. bǎtard) :- medL. bastardus, of uncert. orig.
Hence bastardize XVI, bastardy XV (Cf. AN. bastardie XIII); see -IZE, -Y3.