emasculating

Verb

emasculate (third-person singular simple present emasculates, present participle emasculating, simple past and past participle emasculated)

1. (transitive) To deprive of virile or procreative power; to castrate, to geld.
   • Castration has a ſtrange effect; it emaſculates both man, beaſt and bird, and brings them to a near reſemblance of the other ſex. Thus, eunuchs have ſmooth unmuſcular arms, thighs, and legs; and broad hips, and beardleſs chins, and ſqueaking voices. Gelt stags and bucks have hornleſs heads, like...1789, Gilbert White, “Letter XXXII. To the Same [Daines Barrington].”, in The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, in the County of Southampton: With Engravings, and an Appendix, London...

   Synonyms:

   unman

   1. (specifically, transitive) To remove the entire male genitalia (the testicles, scrotum, and penis) of (a person or animal).
2. (transitive) To deprive of masculine vigor or spirit; to weaken; to render effeminate; to vitiate by unmanly softness.
   • [H]is Majeſty [...] is now reſolved (in proſecution of his priſtine Counſels) by force or policy to diſſolve this Parliament in diſcontent, as he hath done all former, and that with ſuch advantages of a generall ill opinion of Parliaments in the ignorant miſ-informed vulgar on the one hand, and of...1643, William Prynne, “The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments & Kingdomes. […]”, in The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes: […], London: […] Michael Sparke Senior, →OCLC, page 29

   Synonyms:

   unman, debilitate, demasculate, enervate, enfeeble

   Antonyms:

   empower, invigorate, masculate, strengthen

3. (transitive) Of a flower: to deprive of the anthers.
   • It is well understood that in artificial cross-fertilizing, in order to prevent self-fecundation, we emasculate the flower from which we wish to obtain the seeds for new varieties; that is, we remove the anthers from that flower, and in the proper season apply to the stigma the pollen from some...1854 March, Charles G[rafton] Page, “Article IV. Artificial Fecundation of Flowers. [From the American Polytechnic Journal.]”, in M. Tarver, H. Cobb, editors, The Western Journal and Civilian...

See all 5 meanings of emasculate