Word
gelding
Phoneticsgeld·ing
UK/ɡˈɛldɪŋ/
Definition
n. a male horse that has been castrated. This makes the horse calmer and easier to handle for many tasks.
n. a male horse that has been castrated. The term is also applied to other castrated male animals, such as bulls or rams, though it is most commonly associated with equine contexts.
Examples
“The farmer prefers using a gelding for heavy farm work.”
“Because he was a gelding, the horse was much more docile and easier for the young riders to manage during the lesson.”
“While stallions are often chosen for their athletic prowess and breeding potential, many professional riders prefer geldings for their consistent temperament and reduced sensitivity to the hormonal fluctuations of the mare.”
Examples
simple
“The farmer prefers using a gelding for heavy farm work.”
contextual
“Because he was a gelding, the horse was much more docile and easier for the young riders to manage during the lesson.”
complex
“While stallions are often chosen for their athletic prowess and breeding potential, many professional riders prefer geldings for their consistent temperament and reduced sensitivity to the hormonal fluctuations of the mare.”
Etymology
From Middle English geldyng (“eunuch”), from Old Norse geldingr (“wether, eunuch”), from gelda (“to castrate”). By surface analysis, geld (“to castrate”) + -ing (diminutive suffix).
From geld + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/gelding