When a baby is born, you refer to this event as his or her birth.
It was the birth of his grandchildren which gave him greatest pleasure. [+ of]
She concealed her pregnancy right up to the moment of birth.
She weighed 5lb 7oz at birth.
...premature births.
Synonyms: childbirth, birthing, delivery, confinement More Synonyms of birth
2. uncountable noun [with poss]
You can refer to the beginning or origin of something as its birth.
...the birth of popular democracy. [+ of]
Synonyms: beginning, start, rise, source More Synonyms of birth
3. uncountable noun
Some people talk about a person's birth when they are referring to the social position of the person's family.
...men of low birth.
His birth, background and career show that you can make it in this country on meritalone.
Synonyms: ancestry, line, race, stock More Synonyms of birth
4. See also date of birth, home birth
5.
See by birth
6.
See give birth
7.
See give birth to
8.
See of o's birth
birth in British English
(bɜːθ)
noun
1.
the process of bearing young; parturition; childbirth
▶ Related adjective: natal
2.
the act or fact of being born; nativity
3.
the coming into existence of something; origin
4.
ancestry; lineage
of high birth
5.
noble ancestry
a man of birth
6.
natural or inherited talent
an artist by birth
7. archaic
the offspring or young born at a particular time or of a particular mother
8. give birth
verb(transitive) rare
9.
to bear or bring forth (a child)
Word origin
C12: from Old Norse byrth; related to Gothic gabaurths, Old Swedish byrdh, Old High German berd child; see bear1, bairn
birth in American English
(bɜrθ)
noun
1.
the act of bringing forth offspring
2.
the act or fact of coming into life, or of being born; nativity
3.
origin or natal background
a Spaniard by birth
4.
good or noble lineage
a man of birth
5.
the beginning of anything
the birth of a nation
6.
an inherited or natural inclination or talent
an actress by birth
verb intransitive, verb transitive
7.
to give birth (to)
adjective
8.
relating or related biologically rather than by adoption; natural
often used in combination
birth mother, birthparent
Idioms:
give birth
give birth to
Word origin
ME birthe, burthe < ON byrth, akin to OE gebyrde, byrde, Goth gabaurths < IE *bhrto, pp. of base *bher-, bear1
COBUILD Collocations
birth
attend the birth
await the birth of
difficult birth
hospital birth
royal birth
witness the birth of
Examples of 'birth' in a sentence
birth
How could my birth family give me away?
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Some reindeer have starved and females often give birth to unusually small young.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
People should only represent the country of their birth.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There are also supposed to be more births around the time of a full moon.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There is something new and intriguing about you as the moon checks into your birth sign.
The Sun (2016)
About one in four of these operations results in a live birth.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is the original sculpture credited with bringing about the birth of modern art: a teenage dancer whose pose pushed artists into revolution.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She agreed and said that she would stop using birth control.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The sun spins into your birth sign and brings so many new opportunities.
The Sun (2011)
When the birth family could not have her back she was put up for adoption.
The Sun (2013)
She should enjoy returning to the country of her birth and getting a bit of success.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is this that makes our birth process more difficult.
Wills, Christopher The Runaway Brain: the Evolution of Human Uniqueness (1993)
The hoax led to four premature births and operations being cancelled.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They can cause birth defects and cancer.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In many areas females are deemed inferior from the moment of birth.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Previous studies have linked caffeine to low birth weight and miscarriage.
The Sun (2010)
He can remembrance his birth some other time.
Zindell, David The Broken God (1993)
Women are left to give birth alone and when things go wrong they are not aided.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The moon returns to your birth sign and adds magic to your romantic moves.
The Sun (2009)
All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Christianity Today (2000)
She has now been reunited with her birth mother.
The Sun (2011)
But their ignorance is breathtaking and lack of knowledge about birth control unacceptable.
The Sun (2014)
The production of an implement from a stone or clay mould can also be seen as a kind of birth process.
Francis Pryor BRITAIN BC: Life In Britain and Ireland before the Romans (2003)
Basically, we are watching the birth of democracy.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Since then, the office has always been held by one of noble or royal birth.
Campbell, Eileen & Brennan, J. H. Dictionary of Mind, Body and Spirit (1994)
Quotations
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star, Hath had elsewhere its setting, And cometh from afarWilliam WordsworthOde: Intimations of Immortality
Birth, and copulation, and death. That's all the facts when you come to brass tacks: Birth, and copulation and death. I've been born, and once is enoughT.S. EliotSweeney Agonistes
It is as natural to die as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful as the otherFrancis BaconOn Death
There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the intervalGeorge SantayanaSoliloquies in England
In other languages
birth
British English: birth /bɜːθ/ NOUN
When a baby is born, you refer to this event as its birth.
The twins were separated at birth.
American English: birth
Arabic: مِيلاد
Brazilian Portuguese: nascimento
Chinese: 出生
Croatian: rođenje
Czech: narození
Danish: fødsel
Dutch: geboorte
European Spanish: nacimiento
Finnish: syntymä
French: naissance
German: Geburt
Greek: γέννηση
Italian: nascita
Japanese: 誕生
Korean: 출생
Norwegian: fødsel
Polish: narodziny
European Portuguese: nascimento
Romanian: naștere
Russian: рождение
Latin American Spanish: nacimiento
Swedish: födelse
Thai: การเกิด
Turkish: doğum
Ukrainian: народження
Vietnamese: sự sinh đẻ
All related terms of 'birth'
by birth
If, for example , you are French by birth , you are French because your parents are French, or because you were born in France .
birth canal
the passageway down which the fetus passes during birth
birth name
the name given a person at birth
birth pangs
pains associated with the process of childbirth
birth pill
a pill which prevents a woman from conceiving
birth plan
a statement by a mother telling doctors and midwives how she would like her labour to proceed
birth rate
The birth rate in a place is the number of babies born there for every 1000 people during a particular period of time.
birth sign
the sign of the zodiac through which the sun is passing when a person is born
give birth
When a woman gives birth , she produces a baby from her body.
home birth
If a woman has a home birth , she gives birth to her baby at home rather than in a hospital .
live birth
the birth of a living child
royal birth
When a baby is born, you refer to this event as his or her birth .
birth control
Birth control means planning whether to have children , and using contraception to prevent having them when they are not wanted .
birth defect
an inherited disease or condition that a baby is born with
birth father
the man whose semen fertilized the ovum from which a child was born
birth mother
the woman who gives birth to a child, regardless of whether she is the genetic mother or subsequently brings up the child
birth parents
a child's biological parents , regardless of whether they subsequently bring up the child
birth weight
the amount a baby weighs when first born
breech birth
birth of a baby with the feet or buttocks appearing first
virgin birth
the doctrine that Jesus Christ had no human father but was conceived solely by the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit so that Mary remained miraculously a virgin during and after his birth
difficult birth
When a baby is born, you refer to this event as his or her birth .
hospital birth
When a baby is born, you refer to this event as his or her birth .
multiple birth
a birth at which two or more children are born at the same time
of o's birth
The country, town , or village of your birth is the place where you were born.
birth certificate
Your birth certificate is an official document which gives details of your birth, such as the date and place of your birth, and the names of your parents .
date of birth
Your date of birth is the exact date on which you were born, including the year .
give birth to
To give birth to something such as an idea means to cause it to start to exist .
of one's birth
The country, town , or village of your birth is the place where you were born.
attend the birth
When a baby is born, you refer to this event as his or her birth .
birth-control pill
an oral contraceptive for women, containing the hormones estrogen and progesterone or progesterone alone , that inhibits ovulation, fertilization , or implantation of a fertilized ovum , causing temporary infertility
birthdate
Your birthdate is the same as your → date of birth .
birthrate
the number of births per year per thousand of population in a given community , area, or group: sometimes other units of time or population are used
await the birth of
When a baby is born, you refer to this event as his or her birth .
partial-birth abortion
an abortion performed relatively late in pregnancy , in which the fetus is extracted in stages through the birth canal
witness the birth of
You can refer to the beginning or origin of something as its birth .
biological parent
a parent who has conceived ( biological mother ) or sired ( biological father ) rather than adopted a child and whose genes are therefore transmitted to the child
birthparent
a person's parent related biologically rather than by adoption
Chinese translation of 'birth'
birth
(bəːθ)
n
(c/u)[of baby, animal]出生 (chūshēng)
(s) (fig) 开(開)始 (kāishǐ)
to give birth (to)[child, animal]分娩 (fēnmiǎn) [idea]促成 (cùchéng)
All related terms of 'birth'
birth control
节(節)育 jiéyù
date of birth
出生日期 chūshēng rìqī
birth certificate
出生证(證)明 chūshēng zhèngmíng [ 个(個) gè ]
place of birth
出生地 chūshēngdì
by profession/birth/nature
就职(職)业(業)/祖籍/天性而言 jiù zhíyè/zǔjí/tiānxìng ér yán
d.o.b.
date of birth 出生日期 chūshēng rìqī
to give birth (to)
( child, animal ) 分娩 fēnmiǎn
1 (noun)
Definition
the process of bearing young
She weighed 5lb 7oz at birth.
Synonyms
childbirth
She wanted a natural childbirth.
birthing
delivery
She had an easy delivery.
confinement
His pregnant wife is near her confinement.
nativity
parturition
accouchement
Opposites
end
,
death
,
passing
,
demise
,
extinction
,
passing away or on
2 (noun)
Definition
the beginning of something
the birth of popular democracy
Synonyms
beginning
Think of this as a new beginning.
start
She demanded to know why she had not been told from the start.
rise
source
This gave me a clue as to the source of the problem.
origin
theories about the origin of life
emergence
outset
Decide at the outset what kind of learning programme will suit you best.
genesis
The project had its genesis two years earlier.
initiation
They announced the initiation of a rural development programme.
inauguration
They later attended the inauguration of the University.
inception
Since its inception, the company has produced 53 different designs.
commencement
All applicants should be at least 16 years of age at the commencement of this course.
fountainhead
3 (noun)
Definition
ancestry
people of humble birth
Synonyms
ancestry
They can trace their ancestry back to the seventeenth century.
line
We were part of a long line of artists.
race
We welcome students of all races, faiths and nationalities.
stock
We are both from working-class stock.
blood
He was of noble blood, and an officer.
background
breeding
strain
a particularly beautiful strain of Swiss pansies
descent
All the contributors were of foreign descent.
pedigree
a countess of impeccable pedigree
extraction
a young Brazilian of German extraction
lineage
They can trace their lineage back to the 18th century.
forebears
parentage
She is a Londoner of mixed English and Jamaican parentage.
genealogy
He had sat and repeated his family's genealogy to her.
derivation
The derivation of its name is obscure.
phrase
See give birth
related words
related adjectivenatal
Quotations
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star, Hath had elsewhere its setting, And cometh from afar [William Wordsworth – Ode: Intimations of Immortality]Birth, and copulation, and death. That's all the facts when you come to brass tacks: Birth, and copulation and death. I've been born, and once is enough [T.S. Eliot – Sweeney Agonistes]It is as natural to die as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful as the other [Francis Bacon – On Death]There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval [George Santayana – Soliloquies in England]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of blood
Definition
relationship through being of the same family, race, or kind
He was of noble blood, and an officer.
Synonyms
family,
relations,
birth,
descent,
extraction,
ancestry,
lineage,
kinship,
kindred
in the sense of breeding
Synonyms
upbringing,
training,
raising,
development,
rearing,
nurture,
reproduction,
cultivation,
ancestry,
lineage
in the sense of commencement
Definition
the beginning
All applicants should be at least 16 years of age at the commencement of this course.