castrato

[ ka-strah-toh, kuh-; Italian kah-strah-taw ]

noun

, plural cas·tra·ti [ka-, strah, -tee, k, uh, -, kah-, strah, -tee].

1. a male singer, especially in the 18th century, castrated before puberty to prevent his soprano or contralto voice range from changing.

castrato

/ kæˈstrɑːtəʊ /

noun

1. (in 17th- and 18th-century opera) a male singer whose testicles were removed before puberty, allowing the retention of a soprano or alto voice

Word History and Origins

Origin of castrato¹

1755–65; < Italian < Latin castrāt ( us ); castrate

Word History and Origins

Origin of castrato¹

C18: from Italian, from Latin castrātus castrated

Example Sentences

In their heyday, Handel’s operas almost always involved castrati, singers who were castrated as boys to preserve their higher voices but still gained the full lung capacity and overall stamina of grown men.

From New York Times

But you left out my favorite: “He breaks into castrati shrieks and yelps like a throttled bird clamped to the P.A.”

From Los Angeles Times

In Vivaldi’s day, when castrati ruled the roost, the entire cast would have been male.

From Los Angeles Times

Arianna takes a wife for the new emperor, which tracks musically since Handel wrote Anastasio for a castrato voice that well suits a women.

From Los Angeles Times

He then spent his early career specializing in castrato roles.

From New York Times