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to expurgate. My . . . correspondent . . . has sent me the following letter, which I have castrated in some places. Spectator.

The act of castrating.

A male person castrated for the purpose of improving his voice for singing; an artificial, or male, soprano. Swift.

See Kestrel.

Belonging to a camp. Sir T. Browne.

Castrensial. [R.]

A throw of dice after the game in ended; hence, anything done too late. Gower.

A species of Vitex (V. agnus castus); the chaste tree. Loudon. And wreaths of agnus castus others bore. Dryden.

Anything which brings misfortune upon one, or causes failure in an effort or enterprise; a reverse. [Scot.]

A casting or throwing seed in all directions, as from the hand in sowing.

A trick; a delusive contrivance. [Obs.] Spenser.

A caster of accounts; a reckoner; a bookkeeper; -- used conteptuously.

or vicious critic. The rancorous and reptile crew of poeticules, who decompose into criticasters. Swinburne.

A measure of capacity, equal to ten steres, or ten cubic meters.

A poem consisting of ten lines.

Having ten columns in front; -- said of a portico, temple, etc. -- n.

A functionary in ancient Athens answering nearly to the modern juryman.

A court of justice; judgment hall. [R.] J. S. Mill.

A dodecastyle portico, or building.

Cast downward; directed to the ground, from bashfulness, modesty, dejection, or guilt. 'T is love, said she; and then my downcast eyes, And guilty dumbness, witnessed my surprise. Dryden. - Down"cast`ly, adv. -- Down"cast`ness, n.