geld

1 of 2

verb

ˈgeld 

gelded; gelding; gelds

transitive verb

1

: to castrate (an animal)

Some old-timers will tell you that the horse will grow better if you wait until he's older to geld him, but I've found this isn't the case …

—Practical Horseman

2

: to deprive of a natural or essential part

the legislation was pretty much gelded by the time it was passed

geld

2 of 2

noun

: the crown tax paid under Anglo-Saxon and Norman kings

Synonyms

Verb

• undermine
• castrate
• weaken
• drain
• exhaust
• wear
• petrify

Examples of geld in a Sentence

Verb

by the time of the fourth rewrite, the screenplay had pretty much been gelded of all originality

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Gegen and his 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding One Question raced through the course in 44.686 seconds for the win. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2025

While Anarchist is the morning-line, 7-2 favorite in the 11-horse field, the sentimental favorite will be 9-year-old gelding C Z Rocket. —Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2023

An Oldenburg gelding in the horse barn, which is paved with rubber tiles; another stall contains a 1900s French armchair, a 19th-century table, and bird prints. —Anita Sarsidi, ELLE Decor, 1 June 2023

Because Moscow retains a close partner in this effort to geld Ukraine—a vassal state that presents the model for what Putin would like to accomplish in Ukraine: Belarus. —Casey Michel, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old Norse gelda; akin to Old English gelde sterile

Noun

Old English gield, geld service, tribute; akin to Old English gieldan to pay, yield — more at yield entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1610, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

geld

verb

ˈgeld

: castrate

Medical Definition

geld

transitive verb

ˈgeld 

: to castrate (an animal)