castrate

American  

[kas-treyt] / ˈkæs treɪt /

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.

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noun

1. a castrated person or animal.

castrate British  

/ 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)

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Other Word Forms

• castration
  noun
• castrator
  noun

Etymology

Origin of castrate

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

Explanation

To castrate a male animal is to surgically remove its testicles. A veterinarian castrates a male dog to ensure that it can't mate with a female and produce unwanted puppies. People often choose to castrate pets or farm animals to keep them from reproducing. Castrate is one of several words used to refer to this process; most pet owners prefer terms such as neuter or fix. Castrate comes from a Latin root, castrare, which means not just "to castrate," but also "to prune." The word has also come to mean "to take away strength."

Example Sentences

"Castrate" and "geld," commonly used to describe their trade by early expurgators, gave way to "purge," "prune," and "chasten."

From Time Magazine Archive

Castrate, kas′trāt, v.t. to deprive of the power of generation, to remove the testicles, geld, emasculate: to take from or render imperfect.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

Related Words

• mutilate
• neuter
• spay
• sterilize