eunuch

American  

[yoo-nuhk] / ˈyu nək /

noun

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

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eunuch British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of eunuch

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. ) )

Example Sentences

It has persisted in secrecy since Constantinople's fall, either trading in eunuchs on the clandestine market or preserving whiteness and Christianity, depending on the thread's negative or positive outlook on the empire.

From Salon

Earlier, Tory MP Robert Halfon, who has been shielding at home, told BBC News that scrapping virtual proceedings was "democratically unjust" for MPs who could not return to Parliament, leaving them as "parliamentary eunuchs".

From BBC

When a painter featured a black figure as a central subject, he said, usually they would be cast in a biblical role, such as Caspar, one of the three Wise Men, or as a eunuch.

From New York Times

He added: “Democracy has become a eunuch. It has been castrated. Our society is somehow sick. We are infected by viruses … such as coronavirus but also a societal virus where people do not respect others.”

From The Guardian

“And I keep things orderly: like a harem eunuch.”

From Washington Post