Other forms: eunuchs
A eunuch was a castrated man, often a palace servant. The chief eunuch, eunuchs at court, a eunuch of the household.
They were trusted with women's quarters and so ended up close to power, and in several empires eunuchs became the real administration. Boys were castrated for their singing voices in Europe until the practice was banned. The Greek means keeper of the bed.
1nouneunuchA castrated man, often a palace servant.
“The emperor's eunuchs guarded the women of the palace.”
eunuch is a person.
Greek eunouchos means keeper of the bed, from eune, a bed, plus echein, to keep — from the guarding of women's quarters.
Proto-Indo-European
*seǵʰ-
Middle English
eunuk
English, today
eunuch
Built from
From Middle English eunuk. From Middle English eunuk, from Middle French eunuque, from Latin eunūchus, from Ancient Greek εὐνοῦχος, from εὐνή (“bed”) + ἔχω (“to have, keep”). Originally probably used to refer to a bed chamber attendant.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA