castrato

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

• enPR: kăsträʹtō, IPA^(key): /kæsˈtɹɑː.təʊ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: cas‧tra‧to

castrato (plural castratos or castrati)

1. A male who has been castrated, especially a male whose testicles have been removed before puberty in order to retain his boyish voice.
   • 2001, Bernardine Evaristo, The Emperor's Babe, Penguin Essentials (2020), page 170:

     A castrato stepped forward, a slender / young man with earnest grey eyes.

2. A male soprano or alto voice produced by castration of the treble singer before puberty, intended to conserve his voice; the singer.

castrato (not comparable)

1. (literally) Castrated; especially castrated prepubescently.
2. Having, using or containing the voice of a castrato (noun).
3. Originally composed for a castrato.

   Nowadays, either women or countertenors take the castrato roles.

• castrate
• castratism

• contratenor
• contratenor altus
• countertenor
• eunuch
• sopranista
• soprano

• coast rat, crostata

From Latin castrātus.

• IPA^(key): /kasˈtra.to/
• Rhymes: -ato
• Hyphenation: ca‧strà‧to

castrato (feminine castrata, masculine plural castrati, feminine plural castrate)

1. past participle of castrare

castrato (feminine castrata, masculine plural castrati, feminine plural castrate)

1. castrated, gelded, neutered

castrato m (plural castrati)

1. wether
2. mutton

• crostata, scartato, scortata

castrātō

1. dative/ablative singular of castrātus