castrato

noun

cas·tra·to ka-ˈsträ-(ˌ)tō

kə-

plural castrati ka-ˈsträ-tē

kə-

: a singer castrated before puberty to preserve the soprano or contralto range of his voice

Examples of castrato in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Handel composed this in 1750 for the virtuoso castrato Gaetano Guadagni. —

Dallas News, 15 Dec. 2022 Handel composed in 1750 for a famous castrato alto. —

Dallas News, 23 Dec. 2022 The only surviving recordings of a castrato performing solo are from 1904 by Alessandro Moreschi. —

Jim Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 23 July 2015 Handel wanted the villain Polinesso to be a second castrato, but none was available, so a contralto created the part. —

Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2022 See all Example Sentences for castrato

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, noun derivative from past participle of castrare "to remove the testes of a male," going back to Latin castrāre — more at castrate entry 1

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of castrato was in 1763

See more words from the same year