castrato

American  

[ka-strah-toh, kuh-, kah-strah-taw] / kæˈstrɑ toʊ, kə-, kɑˈstrɑ tɔ /

noun

castrati plural

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

---

castrato British  

/ kæˈstrɑːtəʊ /

noun

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

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• castrati
  plural

Etymology

Origin of castrato

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

Example Sentences

Bonnie Gordon is an associate professor of music at the University of Virginia and is writing a book called Voice Machines: The Castrato, The Cat Piano and Other Strange Sounds.

From Slate • May 15, 2012

The Castrato rejoiced and, going in to the Chamberlain, him to his mistress.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

Now she had a Castrato who had come with her from the court of her uncle King Sulayman Shah, and he was intelligent, quick-witted, right-reded.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 11 [Supplement] by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

The Castrato set forth upon this errand and received for all reply, "Say him my heart desireth naught, for that all I require is with me nor is there aught of deficiency."

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 16 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

Accordingly, she went away with the Castrato and the Caliph looked at her raiment and ornaments and seeing her clad in clothing of choice, asked Ishak, "O Ishak, whence hath she these robes?"

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 12 [Supplement] by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir