Castrato
/kəˈstrɑːtoʊ/noun
A male singer castrated before puberty to preserve a high singing voice.
Did you know?During the 17th and 18th centuries, castrati could become international superstars, commanding enormous fees and sometimes being treated as near-mythic voices.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
castrāre
“To castrate or remove the testicles”
Classical Latin
Latin
castrātus
“Castrated; the past participle of castrāre”
Medieval Latin
Latin
castratus
“A castrated male, especially one altered to preserve a higher voice”
16th Century
Italian
castrato
“A male singer castrated before puberty”
18th Century
English
castrato
“A male singer with a preserved high voice resulting from prepubertal castration”
Modern English
English
castrato
“A historical male singer castrated before puberty, especially one associated with Italian opera”
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