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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• castrati
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of castrato

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

castrato castrati

Moreschi was not considered a great castrato, and his sound was not at all feminine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Arianna takes a wife for the new emperor, which tracks musically since Handel wrote Anastasio for a castrato voice that well suits a women.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2022

At one end is the treasury of parts written for castrato singers during the Baroque era; at the other, an explosion of contemporary music.

From New York Times ● Sep. 21, 2018

It was only 100 years ago that the last castrato retired, after 30 years of service in the choir.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 29, 2016

I had recently heard the entrancing castrato singing at St. Peter's, and, on conquering my aversion, could not but admire it.

From Recollections of My Childhood and Youth by Georg Morris Cohen Brandes

Countertenors, long seen as rough facsimiles of the castrati, have witnessed a resurgence since the 1950s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The book follows the story of two castrati who become successful opera singers in Venice and whose lives are intertwined.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2025

But you left out my favorite: “He breaks into castrati shrieks and yelps like a throttled bird clamped to the P.A.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2023

She has excelled in Baroque roles that veered from the mainstream, releasing recordings devoted to 19th century soprano Maria Malibran, castrati and composers Antonio Salieri and Agostino Steffani.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 7, 2023

A troupe of Yunkish castrati owned by Yurkhaz zo Yunzak sang them songs in the ancient tongue of the Old Empire, their voices high and sweet and impossibly pure.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

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