neutering (redirected from Spay and neuter)

neu·ter  (ntr, ny-)

adj.

1. Grammar

a. Neither masculine nor feminine in gender.

b. Neither active nor passive; intransitive. Used of verbs.

2.

a. Biology Having undeveloped or imperfectly developed sexual organs: the neuter caste in social insects.

b. Botany Having no pistils or stamens; asexual.

c. Zoology Sexually undeveloped.

3. Taking no side; neutral.

n.

1. Grammar

a. The neuter gender.

b. A neuter word.

c. A neuter noun.

2. A castrated animal.

3. A sexually undeveloped or imperfectly developed insect, such as a worker bee.

4. A plant without stamens or pistils.

5. One that is neutral.

tr.v. neu·tered, neu·ter·ing, neu·ters

To castrate or spay.

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[Middle English neutre, from Old French, from Latin neuter, neither, neuter : ne-, not; see ne in Indo-European roots + uter, either; see k^wo- in Indo-European roots.]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

neutering - the sterilization of an animal; "they took him to the vet for neutering" altering, fixing sterilisation, sterilization - the act of making an organism barren or infertile (unable to reproduce) castration, emasculation - neutering a male animal by removing the testicles spaying - neutering a female by removing the ovaries