English Dictionary

Definition of “birth

birth (bɜːθPronunciation for birth

Definitions

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. See give birth

verb (tr)

rare 
  1. 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 bearC12: from Old Norse ; related to Gothic , Old Swedish , Old High German child; see 1, , bairn

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
  • "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
  • "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
  • "There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval" George Santayana

Translations

  • British English: birth Pronunciation for birth When a baby is born, you refer to this event as its birth.The twins were separated at birth.bɜːθ NOUN The twins were separated at birth.
  • Spanish: nacimiento Pronunciation for nacimiento nm
  • French: naissance Pronunciation for naissance nf
  • German: Geburt Pronunciation for Geburt nf
  • Chinese: 出生Pronunciation for 出生 n
  • Arabic: مِيلادPronunciation for مِيلاد n
  • Portuguese: nascimentoPronunciation for nascimento nm
  • Russian: рождениеPronunciation for рождение nnt
  • Croatian: rođenjePronunciation for rođenje nnt
  • Czech: narozeníPronunciation for narození nnt
  • Danish: fødselPronunciation for fødsel nutr
  • Dutch: geboortePronunciation for geboorte nf
  • Finnish: syntymäPronunciation for syntymä n
  • Greek: γέννησηPronunciation for γέννηση nf
  • Italian: nascitaPronunciation for nascita nf
  • Japanese: 誕生Pronunciation for 誕生 n
  • Korean: 출생Pronunciation for 출생 n
  • Norwegian: fødselPronunciation for fødsel nm
  • Polish: narodzinyPronunciation for narodziny npl
  • Brazilian Portuguese: nascimentoPronunciation for nascimento nm
  • European Spanish: nacimiento Pronunciation for nacimiento nm
  • Swedish: födelsePronunciation for födelse nutr
  • Thai: การเกิดPronunciation for การเกิด n
  • Turkish: doğumPronunciation for doğum n
  • Vietnamese: sự sinh đẻPronunciation for sự sinh đẻ n

Usage examples

  • She's never quite come to terms with having given birth to a singleton instead of a pair.
    Anita Anderson, SOMEBODY (2002)
  • In August 2002, UK-based PPL Therapeutics announced the birth of five normal-sized piglets lacking both copies of the gene.
    New Scientist (2003)
  • Mr Kevin Flannery of the Department of the Marine believed the survivors may also owe their lives to the birth of a calf.
    Irish Times (2002)
  • Traditionally, they band together and visit families who are celebrating the birth of a child.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • Not long after he had returned home his mother gave birth to his sister.
    Dorothy Rowe, BEYOND FEAR (2002)

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