castrato

[ ka-strah-toh, kuh-; Italian kah-strah-taw ]

/ kæˈstrɑ toʊ, kə-; Italian kɑˈstrɑ tɔ /

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noun, plural cas·tra·ti

[ka-strah-tee, kuh-; Italian kah-strah-tee]. /kæˈstrɑ ti, kə-; Italian kɑˈstrɑ ti/.

a male singer, especially in the 18th century, castrated before puberty to prevent his soprano or contralto voice range from changing.

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Origin of castrato

1755–65; <Italian <Latin castrāt(us); see castrate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use castrato in a sentence

In regi libidinis voluptatem castrati sunt quidam; sed nemo sibi, ne vir esset, jubente domino, mantis intulit.
The Essays of Montaigne, Complete|Michel de Montaigne
Our good-byes at Castrati before starting were affectionate and protracted.
Albania|E. F. Knight
This is the house of a great man, a chieftain; and we were told the name of the place is Castrati.
Albania|E. F. Knight
However, just as the sun was setting we approached the hut of Castrati.
Albania|E. F. Knight

Eunuchs are capable of affording illicit pleasure, whilst the male sopranos, or castrati, are often utilized for that purpose.
Aids to Forensic Medicine and Toxicology|W. G. Aitchison Robertson

British Dictionary definitions for castrato

castrato

/ (kæˈstrɑːtəʊ) /

noun plural -ti (-tɪ) or -tos

(in 17th- and 18th-century opera) a male singer whose testicles were removed before puberty, allowing the retention of a soprano or alto voice

Word Origin for castrato

C18: from Italian, from Latin castrātus castrated

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012