eunuch

[ yoo-nuhk ]

noun

1. a castrated man, especially one formerly employed by rulers in the Middle East and Asia as a harem guard or palace official.

eunuch

/ ˈjuːnək /

noun

1. a man who has been castrated, esp (formerly) for some office such as a guard in a harem
2. informal.
   an ineffective man

   a political eunuch

Word History and Origins

Origin of eunuch¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English eunuk, from Latin eunūchus, from Greek eunoûchos “eunuch, chamberlain,” equivalent to eune-, stem of eunḗ “bed, place of sleeping” + -ochos “keeping” (akin to échein “to have, hold, keep”; hectic ( def ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of eunuch¹

C15: via Latin from Greek eunoukhos attendant of the bedchamber, from eunē bed + ekhein to have, keep

Example Sentences

A self-styled "eunuch maker" who mutilated paying customers and streamed it online has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years.

From BBC

Mr. Cheung also referred to the Florida governor as a “desperate eunuch,” questioned why Mr. DeSantis would “cuck himself” in front of the entire country — sexual slang that implies weakness in a man — and accused him of searching for “new sugar daddies” to fund his campaign.

From New York Times

Samina alleges that the constables called her a eunuch and said she should have died instead of going public with her relationship.

From BBC

Sana, 40, a eunuch in Rawalpindi who asked to be identified by one name, told The Associated Press on Saturday that she favored the court’s ruling because a large number of gay men were being included in her “original and by-birth” eunuch community.

From Seattle Times

By 1963, Harry refused movie offers where the Black character was kind-hearted and even-tempered, a propped-up eunuch, which was in Harry’s view every movie Hollywood made.

From Los Angeles Times