English Explanatory Dictionary

castrate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A castrated man; a eunuch.
verb
  1. To remove the testicles of a person or animal.
  2. To remove the ovaries and/or uterus of an animal.
  3. To take something from; to render imperfect or ineffectual.

Pronunciation

/kæsˈtɹeɪt/ /ˈkæs.tɹeɪt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-castrate.wav

Word forms

castrate castrates castrating castrated

Etymology

Likely from an unattested sense of Middle English castrat (“(adjective) castrated; (noun) a castrated animal”), substantivized borrowing of Latin castrātus, perfect passive participle of castrō (“to prune, amputate, castrate”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix)).

Synonyms

geld spay f neuter sterilize

Derived words

castratable castratee castrater castration castratism castrative castrator castratrix hemicastrate immunocastrate semicastrate uncastrate
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