ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Castrato

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /kæsˈtɹɑː.təʊ/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Castrato is a noun meaning A male who has been castrated, especially a male whose testicles have been removed before puberty in order to retain his boyish voice.

Meaning

A male who has been castrated, especially a male whose testicles have been removed before puberty in order to retain his boyish voice.

More Meanings

  1. (music) A male soprano or alto voice produced by castration of the treble singer before puberty, intended to conserve his voice; the singer.
  2. (literally) Castrated; especially castrated prepubescently.
  3. Having, using or containing the voice of a castrato (noun).
  4. Originally composed for a castrato.

Example Sentences

Nowadays, either women or countertenors take the castrato roles.
A castrato stepped forward, a slender / young man with earnest grey eyes.
As contexts shift, so does generational taste. Just ask the castrati – the high-voiced boy singers displaced when Enlightenment liberalism restored female performers to the stage.

Word Forms

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include castrate, spado, eunuch, spade, cisboy, cavalier.

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Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

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