Plural of capon: roosters that have been castrated to make them larger and better for eating.
From capon (Latin capō, possibly from Greek koptein meaning 'to cut') + -s (English plural suffix).
In medieval times, capons were so valuable that they appear in royal banquet records and were given as luxury gifts between nobles—they were basically the filet mignon of poultry!
Castration of roosters to produce capons created a historical gendered labor divide—primarily male poultry keepers performed this procedure, reinforcing masculinity in agricultural authority. The term indexes a body modified for human purposes, paralleling how women's bodies have been controlled and modified by institutional power.
Use descriptively when discussing poultry or medieval food history. Consider acknowledging the gendered labor history when contextualizing culinary traditions.
["castrated fowl","neutered rooster"]
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