eunuch

American  

[yoo-nuhk] / ˈju nək /

noun

• eunuchs
  plural

1. a castrated man, especially one formerly employed by rulers in the Middle East and Asia as a harem guard or palace official.

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eunuch British  

/ ˈjuːnək /

noun

1. a man who has been castrated, esp (formerly) for some office such as a guard in a harem

2. informal an ineffective man

   a political eunuch

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• eunuchs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of eunuch

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English eunuk, from Latin eunūchus, from Greek eunoûchos “eunuch, chamberlain,” equivalent to eune-, stem of eunḗ “bed, place of sleeping” + -ochos “keeping” (akin to échein “to have, hold, keep”; cf. hectic ( def. ))

Explanation

Not a word for the faint-hearted, eunuch sounds like "you nick," and if you castrate a man you make him a eunuch by...uh...nicking the testicles with a knife or scalpel and removing them. Eunuch comes from the Greek eunoukhos, meaning "bedroom guard." In history a eunuch was a man whose job was to guard the bedroom door of a royal woman to protect her. These guards were castrated to make them less threatening to the women they guarded. Later, some men underwent castration so their high voices wouldn't deepen during puberty, and these eunuch singers became famous in opera houses.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eunuch eunuchs

Wiser and more practical than those around her, Maomao is able to play forensic detective, prevent assassination attempts, suss out political intrigue, resist an amorous eunuch and even ingest bits of poison safely.

From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2025

She in turn might transform her popular influence into political power by conspiring with palace administrators like the palace’s chief eunuch, becoming one of the most powerful people in the empire.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

“The very first person baptized after Jesus’s departure is the Ethiopian eunuch, a trans person who is faithful and spreads the Gospel beyond his space,” Bishop Rohrer said.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 15, 2021

Transgenderism, intersex identity and the third gender, for example, have traditionally been a part of South Asian culture with the hijra or eunuch communities.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2021

When he wish for talk, he whisper, he whisper him thought, and he eunuch men sing it out to every body.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

However, the court said Islamic law recognizes the existence of intersex people and eunuchs and said they should be entitled to all the fundamental rights provided to Pakistanis in the constitution.

From Seattle Times ● May 20, 2023

I was received by many eunuchs in splendid costume blazing with jewels, and carrying scimitars in their hands.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

During the Mughal empire, eunuchs served as singers, dancers and even advisers in the royal courts.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2018

“While on the one hand, the eunuchs will get employment, on the other hand their deployment will strengthen security at short stay homes for girls,” he said.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 18, 2018

The legionaries might be armed and organized in the same manner as Unsullied ... but the eunuchs knew no other life, whereas the Ghiscari were free citizens who served for three-year terms.

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