castrati

Plural of castrato. castration (kas-tra's hon), n. [ castrato (kás-trä'tō), n.; pl. castrati (-tē). [It.: see castrate, a. and n.] A male person emasculated during childhood for the purpose of preventing the change of voice which naturally occurs at puberty; an artificial or male soprano. The voice of such a person, after arriving at adult age, combines the high range and sweetne of the female with the power of the male voice.