Asexualize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To make something free from sexual characteristics or influences; to render a person or organism incapable of sexual reproduction; to transform into a state that lacks sexual attraction or desire
2. To remove sexual traits or elements from an entity or individual; to cause an organism to cease reproductive functions; to alter in a way that eliminates sexual interest or orientation
3. To strip away sexual features from something or someone; to deactivate the reproductive abilities of a living being; to change into a form that has no romantic or sexual appeal

Etymology: "Asexualize" is a plain modern formation rather than a word with a dramatic backstory: it is built from "asexual" plus the verb-forming suffix "-ize." The prefix "a-" comes from Ancient Greek and means "without," while "sexual" traces back through Latin "sexualis" to "sexus," meaning sex, which in turn belongs to a root that also gave Latin "secare," to cut or divide. The idea underlying the sex-related sense is therefore one of separation into two parts. The suffix "-ize" has a longer lineage. It descends from Ancient Greek verbs ending in "-izein," passed into Late Latin as "-izare," then into Middle French as "-iser," and reached Middle English as "-isen" before settling into the modern form. Its job is to turn a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make or become" the thing described, so "asexualize" means to make something asexual.