Definition of 'born'
1. passive verb
When a baby is born, it comes out of its mother's body at the beginning of its life. In formal English, if you say that someone is born of someone or to someone, you mean that person is their parent.
My mother was 40 when I was born. [be VERB-ed]
She was born in London on April 29, 1923. [be VERB-ed]
He was born of German parents and lived most of his life abroad. [be V-ed + of/to]
Willie Smith was the second son born to Jean and Stephen. [V-ed + of/to]
2. passive verb [no cont]
If someone is born with a particular disease, problem, or characteristic, they have it from the time they are born.
He was born with only one lung. [be VERB-ed + with]
Some people are born brainy. [be VERB-ed adjective]
I think he was born to be editor of a tabloid newspaper. [be VERB-ed to-infinitive]
We are all born leaders; we just need the right circumstances in which to flourish. [be VERB-ed noun]
3. passive verb [no cont]
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
5. passive verb
When an idea or organization is born, it comes into existence. If something is born of a particular emotion or activity, it exists as a result of that emotion or activity.
[formal] The idea for the show was born in his hospital room. [be VERB-ed]
Congress passed the National Security Act, and the CIA was born. [be VERB-ed]
Energy conservation as a philosophy was born out of the 1973 oil crisis. [be V-ed + out of/of]
6. See also -born, first born, newborn
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
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Synonyms of "born"
French Translation of "born"
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Word of the day : lunar module
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adjective
▶ USAGE Care should be taken not to use born where borne is intended: he had borne (not born) his ordeal with great courage; the following points should be borne in mind4.
5. in all one's born days
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Max1882-1970; Ger. nuclear physicist, in England (1933-53)
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
verb transitive, verb intransitive
adjective
2.
brought into life or being
3.
by birth
used in hyphenated compounds French-born
4.
having certain qualities or abilities innately, as if from birth; natural
a born athlete
5.
being as specified from birth
nobly born
6. Informal, Dialectal
since birth
in all my born days
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Trends of 'born'
Very Common. born is one of the 4000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary
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Nearby words of 'born'
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Definition of born from the
Collins English Dictionary
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