castrated; castrating
Definition of castrate
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to deprive (a male animal or person) of the testes
The sexes of sheep are not ascertained by agriculturists until several months after birth, at the period when the males are castrated.— Charles Darwin The infamous Emperor Nero was said to have had one of his slaves castrated by his surgeons.— Joanne Nadol
also, chiefly in technical contexts
: to deprive (a female animal or person) of the ovaries
2a
: to render impotent
a drug used to chemically castrate sex offenders
b
: to deprive of virility : emasculate
Throughout his writing life Hemingway constantly criticized and satirized Fitzgerald, whom he felt had been psychologically castrated by Zelda, couldn't hold his liquor, had no personal dignity, and publicly humiliated himself.— Jeffrey Meyers
c
: to deprive of vitality, strength, or effectiveness
The bill was castrated by removal of the enforcement provisions. … a barrage of questions about whether energy policy dictated by the White House would castrate the EPA's drive to clean up air pollution. — Nature
castrate
noun
plural castrates
Definition of castrate (Entry 2 of 2)
: a castrated individual
Arango was a well-known celibate with a special devotion to St. Erasmus of Delft, the castrate.— Donald Barthelme Castration of meat-producing male animals has been widely used for a very long time, mainly for an easier control of their behaviour and the higher propensity of castrates to deposit fat, a commodity that has been in high demand until quite recently.— Carrick Devine and M. Dikeman
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for castrate
The first known use of castrate was in 1554
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