castrate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a man who has been castrated and is incapable of reproduction
    eunuch.
    • eunuchs guarded the harem
  2. verb deprive of strength or vigor
    emasculate.
    • The Senate emasculated the law
  3. verb edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
    bowdlerise; expurgate; bowdlerize; shorten.
    • bowdlerize a novel
  4. verb remove the testicles of a male animal
    emasculate; demasculinise; demasculinize.
  5. verb remove the ovaries of
    spay; alter; neuter.
    • Is your cat spayed?

WordNet

Cas"trate transitive verb
Etymology
L. castrarus, p; p. of castrare to castrate, asin to Skr. çastra knife.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Castrated; present participle & verbal noun Castrating
Definitions
  1. To deprive of the testicles; to emasculate; to geld; to alter.
  2. To cut or take out; esp. to remove anything erroneous, or objectionable from, as the obscene parts of a writing; to expurgate.
    My . . . correspondent . . . has sent me the following letter, which I have castrated in some places. Spectator.

Webster 1913