Meaning & use
castrate
To remove the testicles of a male animal or person, usually to prevent reproduction.
See it in a sentence
The vet recommended they castrate the young dog before he turned one.
Farmers often castrate male livestock to make them calmer and easier to raise.
A note on using this word
Castrate is used figuratively too, meaning to weaken or deprive something of its force.
Words with a similar meaning
This term is best learned through its definition and examples.
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
To deprive something of its force, power, or effectiveness.
The amendment effectively castrated the agency's power to enforce the rule.
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