castrato

Definition

A male who has been castrated, especially a male whose testicles have been removed before puberty in order to retain his boyish voice.

Etymology

From Italian castrato, from Latin castrō (“to castrate”), likely from caedō (“to cut”).

Example Sentences

• "A castrato stepped forward, a slender / young man with earnest grey eyes."
• "As contexts shift, so does generational taste. Just ask the castrati – the high-voiced boy singers displaced when Enlightenment liberalism restored female performers to the stage."