eunuch en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- yo͞oʹnək
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈjuː.nək/
Etymology
Etymology tree Ancient Greek εὐνή (eunḗ) Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ-der. Proto-Hellenic *hékʰō Ancient Greek ἔχω (ékhō) Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- Proto-Indo-European *wéǵʰeti Proto-Hellenic *wékʰō Ancient Greek ϝέχω (wékhō)? Ancient Greek -οῦχος (-oûkhos) Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos)bor. Latin eunūchusder. Middle English eunuk English eunuch From Middle English eunuk, from Middle French eunuque, from Latin eunūchus, from Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος (eunoûkhos), from εὐνή (eunḗ, “bed”) + ἔχω (ékhō, “to have, keep”). Originally probably used to refer to a bed chamber attendant.
Meanings
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A castrated man.
Semiramis was the first woman to invent eunuchs and women have had sympathy for them ever since; […] and women can tell them what they can't tell other men.
1922, Michael Arlen, “2/1/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
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(historical) Such a man employed as harem guard or in certain (mainly Eastern) monarchies (e.g. late Roman and Chinese Empires) as court or state officials.
[describing a bas-relief] An eunuch holds a fly-flapper or fan over the head of the king, who appears to be conversing or performing some ceremony with a figure standing in front of him; probably his vizir or minister.
1849, Austen Henry Layard, chapter III, in Nineveh and Its Remains: with an account of a visit to the Chaldean Christians of Kurdistan:Hence sawcy Eunuch peace, / she hath betraid me, / And shall dye the death.
c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene xiv]:He ſhall be made a chaſte and luſtleſſe Eunuch, And in my Sarell tend my Concubines
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:I, and by heauen, one that will doe the deede, / Though Argus were her Eunuch and her garde.
c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
- (in translations of ancient texts) A man who is not inclined to marry and procreate.
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(figuratively) One that is ineffectual.
behold the Eunuch of castrated thought
2002, Sarah Kane, 4.48 Psychosis, Methuen, →ISBN, page 40:Mr. Peterson really reaches for a low one when he says, "They (gays) should never commit themselves to any broader ideological movement." I am, paradoxically, a Christian, a Maxist, a Gay, and a Human Being. To be gay one should not be a political eunuch.
1976 December 11, Ronnie Allen, “No Political Eunuch”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 24, page 4:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| eunuchs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
eunuchry · eunuchism · eunuchlike · eunuched · eunuchize · eunuch flute
Synonyms
Translations (120)
fa خواجه (castrated man) · tl eunuko (castrated man) · da eunuk (castrated man) · cmn 寺人 (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · cs kleštěnec (castrated man) · fi eunukki (castrated man) · mk скопец (castrated man) · nl eunuch (castrated man) · hy ներքինի (castrated man) · he סָרִיס (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · vo homen (castrated man) · es eunuco (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · yo ìwẹ̀fà (castrated man) · eo kastrito (castrated man) · sv eunuck (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · ms sida-sida (castrated man) · cmn 閹宦 /阉宦 (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · ja 宦官 (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · jje 고제 (castrated man) · cmn 宦官 (castrated man) · ca eunuc (castrated man) · cs kastrát (castrated man) · la thlasias (castrated man) · cmn 閹人 /阉人 (castrated man) · pl eunuch (castrated man) · mn тайган (castrated man) · grc εὐνοῦχος (castrated man) · cmn 宦官 (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · hu eunuch (castrated man) · az hərəmağası (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · kk әтек (castrated man) · ko 환관 (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · nl eunuch (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · io eunuko (castrated man) · el ευνούχος (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · pl rzezaniec (castrated man) · tl bating (castrated man) · lt kastrãtas (castrated man) · hu eunuch (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · de Eunuch (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · be кастра́т (castrated man) · nl castraat (castrated man) · pl eunuch (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · oc eunuc (castrated man) · ko 내시 (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · yo ìwẹ̀fà (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · yo òkóbó (castrated man) · wa unuke (castrated man) · ar مَخْصِيّ (castrated man) · hi हिजड़ा (castrated man) · mn тайган (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · ang belisnod (castrated man) · bg скопе́ц (castrated man) · fr castrat (castrated man) · pt eunuco (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · ar خَصِيّ (castrated man) · uk є́внух (castrated man) · cs kastrát (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · uk скопе́ць (castrated man) · tr hadım (castrated man) · la spadō (castrated man) · be скапе́ц (castrated man) · tr husyesiz (castrated man) · be е́ўнух (castrated man) · cmn 閹宦 /阉宦 (castrated man) · yo ọyà (castrated man) · fr eunuque (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · cop ⲥⲓⲟⲩⲣ (castrated man) · he סָרִיס (castrated man) · cs eunuch (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · az xədim (castrated man) · be лягча́нец (castrated man) · eo eŭnuko (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · cmn 公公 (castrated man) · sh eunuh (castrated man) · nn evnukk (castrated man) · th ชันที (castrated man) · fr eunuque (castrated man) · it eunuco (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · de Kastrat (castrated man) · kk әтек (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · hi हिजड़ा (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · fi ruuna (castrated man) · it eunuco (castrated man) · pl kastrat (castrated man) · mi unaka (castrated man) · uk кастра́т (castrated man) · uk є́внух (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · be е́ўнух (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · ru кастра́т (castrated man) · th ขันที (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · el ευνούχος (castrated man) · de Eunuch (castrated man) · ga coillteán (castrated man) · pt eunuco (castrated man) · bg е́внух (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · es eunuco (castrated man) · pl trzebieniec (castrated man) · cmn 閹人 /阉人 (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · mk евнух (castrated man) · grc σπάδων (castrated man) · ko 고자 (castrated man) · is geldingur (castrated man) · ru е́внух (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · fi eunukki (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · fa خواجه (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · nb evnukk (castrated man) · lt eunùchas (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · mi unaka (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · sa अक्षत (castrated man) · sq eunuk (castrated man) · sv eunuck (castrated man) · ru е́внух (castrated man) · cs eunuch (castrated man) · la eunuchus (castrated man) · ru скопе́ц (castrated man) · hy ներքինի (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · tr haremağası (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state) · bo ཉུག་རུམ (castrated man) · cmn 太監 /太监 (such a man who was harem guard or in Middle Eastern courts under Roman Emperors, important officials of the state)