To decant; to purify something by straining it.
To separate large and small particles through an upwardly flowing liquid or vapid stream.
To make something, such as a dramatic work, more acceptable by removing potentially offensive material.
To remove sensitive or personal data from (a database or file).
To filter (text) to ensure it does not contain any characters that will cause problems for or be interpreted in an adverse way by the receiving system.
To revise (a document) in order to prevent identification of the sources.
To rid of microorganisms by cleaning or disinfecting.
Near-synonym: bowdlerize