castration

noun

cas·​tra·​tion ka-ˈstrā-shən 

plural castrations

1

a

: the removal of the testes or ovaries

b

: chemical castration

… medical castration is more commonly accomplished with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues.

—Joseph C. Presti, Jr.

2

: an act or instance of depriving someone or something of its virility, vitality, strength, or effectiveness

"In the history of black men in Hollywood," says [Blair] Underwood, "there's been a castration of sorts. Even Sidney Poitier, our first black male superstar, was never allowed to show that sexual side …"

—Marilyn Beck

The most famous instance is Nahum Tate's 1681 castration of King Lear, which includes … a complete rewriting of the last scene, so that Cordelia does not die but survives to marry Edgar.

—Walter Kendrick

Examples of castration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The first vasectomy on record was performed on a dog in 1823 by Sir Astley Cooper as an alternative to complete castration. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 7 July 2024

But the procedure, an invasive surgical castration, is medically complicated, expensive and sometimes dangerous for hippos as well as for the people performing it. —Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024

Alejandro Mira got the call to assist in his first surgical castration of a hippo last October. —Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2024

Although midlevel authorities had some discretion in choosing their methods, grisly patterns found throughout the country imply institutional repertoires of violence: decapitation, castration, the public exhibition of body parts and corpses, and particular forms of torture were all common. —Gary J. Bass, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

Middle English castracioun, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French castration, chastration, borrowed from Latin castrātiōn-, castrātiō, from castrāre "to castrate entry 1" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing castration

• chemical castration

Medical Definition

castration

noun

cas·​tra·​tion kas-ˈtrā-shən 

1

: the removal of testes or ovaries

2

: chemical castration