I. To deprive of generative power (both of male and female), to emasculate, castrate, geld: “hircum,” Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 1 and 4: “agnum,” Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 18: “gallos,” id. ib. 3, 9, 3; Curt. 6, 3, 12; Val. Max. 6, 1, 13; Suet. Dom. 7: “sues,” Plin. 8, 51, 77, § 208; 10, 21, 25, § 50; 11, 51, 112, § 261 al.—
2. Transf. to plants, to prune, lop, trim, Cato, R. R. 33, 2; Plin. 17, 20, 33, § 144; 24, 8, 33, § 49.—
B. Trop.: vina saccis, to pass through a sack or bag, to filter, Plin. 19, 4, 19, § 53; cf. id. 14, 22, 28, § 138 sq.: “siligo castrata,” i. e. cleaned, id. 18, 9, 20, § 86: “semen,” id. 15, 14, 15, § 51.—
II. In gen., to shorten, cut off, curtail: “caudas catulorum,” Col. 7, 12, 14; cf. Plin. 8, 41, 63, § 153: “alvos apum,” to take up, to take out the honey, Col. 9, 15, 4; 9, 15, 11; cf.: “castrare alvearia,” Pall. 7, 7.—
B. Trop., to enervate, debilitate: castrata res publica morte Africani, weakened (a vulgar figure, acc. to Cic. de Or. 3, 41, 164; Quint. 8, 6, 15): “nisi illum (Maecenatem) enervasset felicitas, immo castrasset,” Sen. Ep. 19, 9: “libellos,” to remove obscenity, to expurgate, Mart. 1, 35, 14: “vires,” to diminish, Plin. 11, 18, 19, § 60: “avaritiam,” to check, restrain, Claud. Eutr. 1, 192.
