Meaning & use
castrate
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Meanings
verbtransitivemedical
To remove the testicles of a male animal or person, usually to prevent reproduction.
Grammar: Takes an object: castrate a bull. Often used in the passive: the cat was castrated.
Patterns
- castrate an animal
- be castrated
Farmers often castrate male pigs to prevent aggressive behavior.
The vet castrated the kitten before it was old enough to breed.
verbtransitivefigurative
To weaken or remove the power or effectiveness of something.
Grammar: Used figuratively, often in the passive: the law was castrated by amendments.
Patterns
- castrate a bill
- castrate the opposition
The new regulations effectively castrated the consumer protection agency.
Critics say the amendment castrates the original bill.
Word forms
| third person singular | castrates |
|---|---|
| past tense | castrated |
| past participle | castrated |
| -ing form | castrating |
Common combinations
- castrate a bull
- The rancher castrated the bull to make it easier to handle.
- be castrated
- The male cat was castrated last week.
- castrate an animal
- It is common practice to castrate animals that are not used for breeding.
Synonyms and how they differ
- neuter
- Neuter is more common for pets and is less clinical; castrate is more technical and often used for farm animals.
- emasculate
- Emasculate is mostly figurative, meaning to make someone feel less powerful; castrate can be literal or figurative.
Word family
- castration noun
- The act or process of castrating.
- castrato noun
- A male singer castrated in boyhood to preserve a high voice, especially in the 18th century.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'castrate' correctly in a figurative sense?
Choose one answer.
In the figurative sense, 'castrate' means to weaken or remove power, as in 'castrates the power'. The other options are literal or nonsensical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “castrate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.