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castrate

cas·trate [ ká stràyt ] (past and past participle cas·trat·ed, present participle cas·trat·ing, 3rd person present singular cas·trates)


transitive verb 
Definition:
 
1. remove testicles from: to remove the testicles of a man or male animal, making reproduction impossible. Animals are sometimes castrated to make them more docile and to prevent disease.

2. weaken somebody or something: to take away the strength, power, force, or vigor of somebody or something
The department was castrated through heavy budget cuts.

[15th century. < Latin castrat-, past participle of castrare "cut off"]

cas·trat·er noun
cas·tra·tion [ ka stráysh'n ] noun
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