/trav"euh stee/ , n. , pl. travesties , v. , travestied, travestying .
n.
1. a literary or artistic burlesque of a serious work or subject, characterized by grotesque or ludicrous incongruity of style, treatment, or subject matter.
2. a literary or artistic composition so inferior in quality as to be merely a grotesque imitation of its model.
3. any grotesque or debased likeness or imitation: a travesty of justice.
v.t.
4. to make a travesty on; turn (a serious work or subject) to ridicule by burlesquing.
5. to imitate grotesquely or absurdly.
[ 1655-65; travesti , ptp. of travestir to disguise travestire , equiv. to tra- ( trans- TRANS-) + vestire to clothe vestire; see VEST ]
Syn. 1. See burlesque. 3. mockery, perversion, sham, distortion.