cas·trate
ˈka-ˌstrāt 
castrated; castrating; castrates
1
a
: to deprive (a male animal or person) of the testes
The sexes of sheep are not ascertained by agriculturists until several months after birth, at the period when the males are castrated.—
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin… he has been able to perform works written for the castrati, the boys who were castrated before puberty in the mid-1500s in Europe so they could achieve ultra-high notes.—Kerrie O'Brien
Kerrie O'Brien
b
: to block the production of sex hormones in (a person) by the use of hormone therapy (see hormone therapy sense b) : to cause to undergo chemical castration
a drug used to chemically castrate sex offenders
Health care professionals treat advanced prostate cancer patients by reducing production of the hormone testosterone. … physicians may medically castrate patients, a non-surgical method that uses drugs such as synthetic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists.—San Diego Center for Urology Care
San Diego Center for Urology Care2
a
: to deprive of virility : emasculate
Throughout his writing life Hemingway constantly criticized and satirized Fitzgerald, whom he felt had been psychologically castrated by Zelda, couldn't hold his liquor, had no personal dignity, and publicly humiliated himself.—Jeffrey Meyers
Jeffrey Meyers
b
: to deprive of vitality, strength, or effectiveness
The bill was castrated by removal of the enforcement provisions.
… a barrage of questions about whether energy policy dictated by the White House would castrate the EPA's drive to clean up air pollution.—Nature
Nature
plural castrates
: a castrated individual
Arango was a well-known celibate with a special devotion to St. Erasmus of Delft, the castrate.—Donald Barthelme
Donald BarthelmeCastration of meat-producing male animals has been widely used for a very long time, mainly for an easier control of their behaviour and the higher propensity of castrates to deposit fat, a commodity that has been in high demand until quite recently.—Carrick Devine and M. Dikeman
Carrick Devine and M. DikemanSynonyms
Examples of castrate in a Sentence
Verb
Farmers castrated the bull calf.
a movie version that castrates the hard-hitting novel
Recent Examples on the Web
Carlie Porterfield, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024
According to the memorandum and witness testimony, Clark attempted to castrate herself in her cell.
—Kaitlyn Pohly, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2024
One feminist labeled him a pervert; another threatened to castrate him.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 25 July 2024
Herders also castrate their domestic animals to keep them from fighting with other animals in the herd or attacking humans.
—Discover Magazine, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for castrate 
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Verb
In 1952, Turing was prosecuted for homosexual acts, a criminal offense at the time, and chose to be chemically castrated instead of serving prison time.
—Carlie Porterfield, CNN, 24 Oct. 2024
According to the memorandum and witness testimony, Clark attempted to castrate herself in her cell.
—Kaitlyn Pohly, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2024
One feminist labeled him a pervert; another threatened to castrate him.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 25 July 2024
Herders also castrate their domestic animals to keep them from fighting with other animals in the herd or attacking humans.
—Discover Magazine, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for castrate
Dictionary Entries Near castrate
Cite this Entry
“Castrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/castrate. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
castrate
verb
cas·trate
ˈkas-ˌtrāt
castrated; castrating
: to remove the ovaries or especially the testes of
Medical Definition
castrate
1 of 2 transitive verb
cas·trate
ˈkas-ˌtrāt
castrated; castrating
1
2
: to block the production of sex hormones in (a person) by the use of hormone therapy (see hormone therapy sense b) : to cause to undergo chemical castration
… chemically castrate patients to eliminate the [prostate] cancer's primary source of androgens.—The Atlanta Journal and Constitution
The Atlanta Journal and Constitutioncastrate
2 of 2 noun
: a castrated individual
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