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castrati

 - 2 dictionary results

cas⋅tra⋅to

  [ka-strah-toh, kuh-; It. kah-strah-taw]
Use castrati in a Sentence
–noun, plural -ti  [-tee] .
a male singer, esp. in the 18th century, castrated before puberty to prevent his soprano or contralto voice range from changing.
Origin:
1755–65; < It < L castrāt(us); see castrate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To castrati
ca·stra·to   (kā-strä'tō, kə-)   
n.   pl. ca·stra·ti (-tē) or ca·stra·tos
A male singer castrated before puberty so as to retain a soprano or alto voice.

[Italian, from Latin castrātus, past participle of castrāre, to castrate; see castrate.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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