neuter
adjective
neu·ter
| \ ˈnü-tər
, ˈnyü-\
, ˈnyü-\
Definition of neuter
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a
: of, relating to, or constituting the gender that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to things classed as neither masculine nor feminine
b
: neither active nor passive : intransitive
2
: taking no side : neutral
3
: lacking or having imperfectly developed or nonfunctional generative organs
neuter
nounDefinition of neuter (Entry 2 of 3)
1a
: a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the neuter gender
b
: the neuter gender
2
: one that is neutral
3a
: worker sense 2
b
: a spayed or castrated animal
neuter
verb
neutered;
neutering;
neuters
Definition of neuter (Entry 3 of 3)
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Examples of neuter in a Sentence
Adjective
The pronoun “it” is neuter.Verb
She had her dog neutered by the veterinarian. The bill was neutered by the changes made by the legislature.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Spay/neuter laws Mandatory spay/neuter laws are aimed to prevent animal overpopulation, and are often enacted at the local level. — Ivana Hrynkiw, AL.com, "'You can't adopt your way out of this problem': GBHS CEO responds to 'No Kill' allegations," 27 Oct. 2017 The plan to neuter hurricanes involved a series of observations and deductions, with each step built upon the last. — Sam Kean, The Atlantic, "The Chemist Who Thought He Could Harness Hurricanes," 5 Sep. 2017 On Feb. 19, Wheaton, founder of the Alicia Pet Care Center, will hold the fifth annual free spay and neuter day in memory of Ford Petersen, an employee who died Feb. 11, 2013, at age 21, from a congenital heart condition. — Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, "Vet holding free spay and neuter day," 14 Feb. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The shelter provides vaccinations, spay/neuter services and veterinarian care. — Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, "Former San Antonio mayor’s plans for protecting animals could be ‘game changer’," 3 Sep. 2019 Kim and Rouhani both face complications at home, though Kim has moved to neuter some threats since coming to power, including having potential opponents executed, and seemingly has key generals on his side. — David Wainer, Fortune, "Trump and Rouhani Have Little Incentive to Meet. Here’s Why," 27 Aug. 2019 There are several groups that can help you with the neuter and spay. — Joan Morris, The Mercury News, "Rodeo woman’s family thinks she’s courting trouble feeding feral cats," 5 Aug. 2019 His adoption fee includes his neuter surgery, current vaccinations, a microchip and a free follow-up wellness exam with a VCA Animal Hospital. — Arizona Republic, azcentral, "Sumo the big kitty and more up for adoption in Phoenix-area shelters this week," 23 Aug. 2019 Houser blames a variety of factors for that situation from lack of government support for spay-and-neuter programs to a perception by some pet owners that altering their pets emasculates them and it’s against their belief. — Karen Zurawski, Houston Chronicle, "Special Pals marks 40 years," 21 Aug. 2019 Cats can have a few litters each year, and the San Diego Humane Society offers free spay/neuter services, vaccinations and ear-tipping (for identification) for community cats at all three of its campuses. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, "SD Humane Society caring for mama cat and her litter of 11. Luckily, mom can provide," 8 Aug. 2019 The trap-neuter-release strategy isn't exclusive to Mesquite. — Maria Elena Vizcaino, Dallas News, "Mesquite's barn cat program is an 'unemployment agency' for feral cats," 1 Aug. 2019 Rock Springs Police Chief Dwane Pacheco says the shelter only euthanizes feral cats and aggressive dogs and has one of Wyoming’s few free spay-and-neuter programs. — USA TODAY, "Titanic auction, Legos, mighty Mississippi: News from around our 50 states," 22 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Puk’s propensity for the strikeout could neuter a late-inning power surge. — Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, "What A.J. Puk’s arrival could mean for the Athletics’ postseason push," 19 Aug. 2019 And the best part: Pixie’s adoption fees are waived, like with all senior dogs ages 7 and up — as well as ready-to-go dogs, which are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and ready to go home the same day as a visit. — Kathleen Christiansen, orlandosentinel.com, "Featured Pet: Pixie from Orange County Animal Services," 9 Aug. 2019 Last year, the Kentucky Humane Society found homes for more than 6,000 animals and spayed or neutered more than 10,000 area cats and dogs at their S.N.I.P. Clinic. — Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, "How you can party with puppies and kittens for a good cause in Louisville," 24 July 2019 The fallout of Weevil betraying Keith in the movie, and his subsequent return to gang life, leaves their relationship neutered the whole season. — Rebecca Smith, refinery29.com, "Veronica Mars Goes To Hulu & Grows The F*ck Up," 15 July 2019 Cows will mount anything, so the industry collects semen when bulls attempt to mount steers—neutered male cows. — Chase Purdy, Quartz, "There’s still room to innovate in the cutting-edge cow semen business," 3 July 2019 To Nicholas Dodman, professor emeritus at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, both show the characteristics of neutered male cats’ phantom spraying or marking. — Liz Langley, National Geographic, "Here’s why cats hate belly rubs so much," 11 June 2019 All animals have been seen by a veterinarian, and are spayed or neutered before adoption, fully vaccinated and microchipped. — Karen Pearlman, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Animal adoption event heading to La Mesa," 3 June 2019 Discounted prices are given to spayed and neutered canines. — Jasmine Johnson, Twin Cities, "German shepherd named Max? You’re not alone. Here’s how many dogs are licensed in St. Paul, and why owners bother.," 3 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'neuter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for neuter
neuter
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of neuter
(Entry 1 of 2)
grammar, in some languages
: of or belonging to the class of words (called a gender) that ordinarily includes most of the words referring to things that are neither masculine nor feminine
neuter
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of neuter (Entry 2 of 2)
: to remove the sex organs from (an animal)
disapproving
: to make (something) much less powerful or effective
See the full definition for neuter in the English Language Learners Dictionary