"act of castrating," early 15c., castracioun, from Latin castrationem (nominative castratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of castrare "to castrate, emasculate," supposedly from a noun *castrum "knife, instrument that cuts," from PIE root *kes- "to cut." Freud's castration complex is attested from 1914 in English (translating German Kastrationsangst).
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