A male singer, especially in baroque opera, who was castrated before puberty to preserve his high voice while retaining the power of an adult male voice.
From Italian 'castrato', the past participle of 'castrare' (to castrate), a term that emerged in 16th-century Italian opera when composers demanded this unique vocal quality.
Castrati voices were scientifically unique—their lung capacity was fully developed while their larynx never completed male puberty, creating a sound that many described as angelic but which we can barely hear today since no castrati were ever recorded.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.