born

[[t]bɔ͟ː(r)n[/t]]

♦♦

1) V-PASSIVE 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.

[be V-ed] My mother was 40 when I was born...

[be V-ed] She was born in London on April 29, 1923...

[be V-ed of/to n] He was born of German parents and lived most of his life abroad...

[V-ed] Willie Smith was the second son born to Jean and Stephen.

2) V-PASSIVE: no cont If someone is born with a particular disease, problem, or characteristic, they have it from the time they are born.

[be V-ed with n] He was born with only one lung...

[be V-ed adj] Some people are born brainy...

[be V-ed to-inf] I think he was born to be editor of a tabloid newspaper...

[be V-ed n] We are all born leaders; we just need the right circumstances in which to flourish.

3) V-PASSIVE: no cont You can use be born in front of a particular name to show that a person was given this name at birth, although they may be better known by another name. [FORMAL]

[be V-ed n] She was born Jenny Harvey on June 11, 1946.

4) ADJ: ADJ n You use born to describe someone who has a natural ability to do a particular activity or job. For example, if you are a born cook, you have a natural ability to cook well.

Jack was a born teacher.

Syn:

instinctive

5) V-PASSIVE 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]

[be V-ed] The idea for the show was born in his hospital room...

[be V-ed] Congress passed the National Security Act, and the CIA was born...

[be V-ed out of/of n] Energy conservation as a philosophy was born out of the 1973 oil crisis.

Syn:

conceive

6) → See also , first born, newborn

7) be born and bred → see breed

be born with a silver spoon in your mouth → see spoon