birth

birth
[[t]bɜ͟ː(r)θ[/t]]
♦♦♦
births
1) N-VAR 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...

She concealed her pregnancy right up to the moment of birth...

She weighed 5lb 7oz at birth.

...premature births.

2) N-UNCOUNT: with poss You can refer to the beginning or origin of something as its birth.

...the birth of popular democracy.

3) N-UNCOUNT: usu supp N 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 merit alone.

4) See also , home birth
5) PHRASE: adj/n PHR If, for example, you are French by birth, you are French because your parents are French, or because you were born in France.

Sadrudin was an Iranian by birth.

6) PHRASE: V inflects When a woman gives birth, she produces a baby from her body.

She's just given birth to a baby girl...

She's due to give birth at any moment.

7) PHRASE: V inflects To give birth to to something such as an idea means to cause it to start to exist.

In 1980, strikes at the Lenin shipyards gave birth to the Solidarity trade union.

8) PHRASE: n PHR The country, town, or village of your birth is the place where you were born.

English dictionary. 2008.

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  • Birth — is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/birth] . The offspring is brought forth from the mother. Different forms of birth are oviparity, vivipary or ovovivipary.Two words used to… …   Wikipedia

  • birth — W2S2 [bə:θ US bə:rθ] n [Date: 1200 1300; : Old Norse; Origin: byrth] 1.) give birth (to sb) if a woman gives birth, she produces a baby from her body ▪ Patsy was celebrating last night after giving birth to twins. 2.) [U and C] the time when a… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • birth — [ bɜrθ ] noun *** 1. ) count or uncount the occasion of a baby being born: We are happy to announce the birth of our son Andrew. John wanted to be present at the birth. from/since birth: James has been blind from birth. at birth (=at the time… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Birth — (b[ e]rth), n. [OE. burth, birth, AS. beor[eth], gebyrd, fr. beran to bear, bring forth; akin to D. geboorte, OHG. burt, giburt, G. geburt, Icel. bur[eth]r, Skr. bhrti bearing, supporting; cf. Ir. & Gael. beirthe born, brought forth. [root]92.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • birth — [bʉrth] n. [ME birthe, burthe < ON byrth, akin to OE gebyrde, byrde, Goth gabaurths < IE * bhrto, pp. of base * bher , BEAR1] 1. the act of bringing forth offspring 2. the act or fact of coming into life, or of being born; nativity 3.… …   English World dictionary

  • birth — birth; birth·day; birth·dom; birth·land; birth·less; birth·stool; mis·birth; re·birth; …   English syllables

  • Birth — Données clés Titre québécois Birth Titre original Birth Réalisation Jonathan Glazer Scénario Jean Claude Carrière, Milo Addica, Jonathan Glazer Pays d’origine …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Birth — ist der Name eines Stadtteils von Velbert im nordrhein westfälischen Kreis Mettmann, siehe Velbert Birth einer Ortschaft im niederrheinischen Kreis Viersen einer Ortschaft der Stadt Hennef (Sieg), siehe Birth (Hennef) eines Films des britischen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • birth — I (beginning) noun animation, arrival, commencement, creation, debut, embarkation, establishment, exordium, genesis, inauguration, inception, incipience, incipiency, incunabula, infancy, introduction, nascency, onset, origin, origination, ortus,… …   Law dictionary

  • birth — ► NOUN 1) the emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the start of life as a physically separate being. 2) the beginning of something. 3) origin or ancestry: he is of noble birth. DERIVATIVES birthing noun. ● give birth Cf …   English terms dictionary

  • birth — [n1] becoming alive bearing, beginning, birthing, blessed event*, childbearing, childbirth, creation, act of God, delivery, labor, nascency, natality, nativity, parturition, producing, travail, visit from stork*; concepts 302,373 Ant. death birth …   New thesaurus

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