‖ evirato
(eviˈrato)
Pl. evirati.
[Italian, ad. L. ēvirātus, pa. pple. of ēvirāre: see evirate v.]
A male singer castrated in boyhood so as to retain an alto or soprano voice. Cf. castrato.
| 1796 Burney Metastasio III. 330 The exquisite voices and refinements in singing of the Evirati. 1879 J. Marshall in Grove Dict. Mus. I. 514 He [Ferri] seems to have surpassed all the evirati in brilliance and endurance. |