castrate

[kas-treyt]

verb (used with object)

castrated, castrating 

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)

Other Word Forms

• castration noun
• castrator 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

Another contract would provide funding to DonkeyLand to castrate 100 donkeys within a year.

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"They would strip us naked. They would Taser us. They would hit us in a sensitive place. They would tell us 'We will castrate you'," he said.

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"Life just feels grey. It's, like, castrated my emotions," Kyle says.

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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.

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

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Related Words

• mutilate 
• neuter 
• spay 
• sterilize