eunuch

[ yoo-nuhk ]

noun

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

eunuch

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of eunuch¹

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”; hectic ( def ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of eunuch¹

C15: via Latin from Greek eunoukhos attendant of the bedchamber, from eunē bed + ekhein to have, keep

Example Sentences

In The Female Eunuch, one of feminism’s cornerstone texts, Germaine Greer wrote in 1970 that “women have very little idea of how much men hate them.”

From MIT Technology Review

Or how kicking a reaction-less eunuch in the crotch over and over again is comedy.

From The Daily Beast

Christianity arrived in Sudan, about 125 miles northeast of Khartoum, with the eunuch minister of Queen Candice in 35 AD.

From The Daily Beast

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with a free-testosterone level akin to an octogenarian eunuch.

From The Daily Beast

The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer This was the first feminist book I ever read.

From The Daily Beast

Even compared with his personage in Casino Royale, the 007 of Quantum is basically a grunting eunuch.

From The Daily Beast

There were eunuchs too, black frock-coated—and the chief eunuch, an important personage who ranks very high.

From Project Gutenberg

Iftikhar went on, and with only the eunuch and Mary Kurkuas, the emir advanced within the palace.

From Project Gutenberg

Then at last the eunuch spoke, his imperturbable smile swelling to a fulsome grin.

From Project Gutenberg

Enough; the good eunuch Hakem thought me a true welee, and brought out one of his cagelings to see my magic.

From Project Gutenberg

The body of the eunuch dropped from her arms, lay upon the rugs, the blood spurting from the neck.

From Project Gutenberg