castrate

[ kas-treyt ]

verb (used with object)

, cas·trat·ed, cas·trat·ing.

1. to remove the testes of; emasculate; geld.
2. to remove the ovaries of.
3. Psychology. to render impotent, literally or metaphorically, by psychological means, especially by threatening a person's masculinity or femininity.
4. to deprive of strength, power, or efficiency; weaken:

   Without those ten new submarines, our navy will be castrated.

noun

1. a castrated person or animal.

castrate

/ kæˈstreɪt /

verb

1. to remove the testicles of; emasculate; geld
2. to deprive of vigour, masculinity, etc
3. to remove the ovaries of; spay
4. to expurgate or censor (a book, play, etc)

Derived Forms

• casˈtrator, noun
• casˈtration, noun

Other Words From

• cas·tra·tion [kas-, trey, -sh, uh, n], noun
• cas·tra·tor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of castrate¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin castrātus, past participle of castrāre “to geld,” equivalent to castr- “geld” + -ātus past participle suffix; -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of castrate¹

C17: from Latin castrāre to emasculate, geld

Example Sentences

Trump was symbolically castrated before an audience of tens of millions of people by Harris when she defeated him during their first debate in September.

From Salon

Trump, an alpha male and America’s First White President, was symbolically castrated and neutered by Kamala Harris, a Black South Asian woman.

From Salon

When Harris talked about the crowd sizes she symbolically and psychologically castrated him, for example.

From Salon

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

The castrated, unnamed farm animal, “loved to chase” Noem’s children, knocking them down and ruining their clothes.

From Salon

Related Words

• mutilate
• neuter
• spay
• sterilize