[f. L. ēvirāt- ppl. stem of ēvirāre to deprive of virility, f. ē out + vir man.] trans. To deprive of virility or manhood. a. To castrate (a male). b. To deprive of manly qualities or attributes; to render unmanly in character or appearance.
a. 1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. iii. II. (1651), 312. Some Philosophers and Divines have evirated themselves, and put out their eyes voluntarily the better to contemplate.
1640. Bp. Hall, Chr. Moder., I. § 4. Origen and some others that have voluntarily evirated themselves.
1846. Landor, Exam. Shaks., Wks. II. 280. The Pope offered a hundred marks in Latin to whoever should eviscerate and evirate him [Doctor Glaston].
b. 1627. W. Sclater, Exp. 2 Thess. (1629), 272. How doth it [idleness] euirate, vn-man men?
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 131. Without the high crime of impiety [we] cannot leave off or eradicate our Beard…; but we must renounce that, and account it for a sport so fondly to Evirate our selves.
1875. Browning, Aristoph. Apol., 90. On thee whose life work preached ‘Raise soul, sink sense! Evirate Hermes!’
Hence Evirating vbl. sb.
1657. Reeve, God’s Plea, 245. Oh look with shame, and horrour upon this wofull evirating, or dis-humaning your selves.
