birth

birth · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    The process of being born; emergence of a baby from the mother's body.

  2. 2.

    To give birth to; to bear.

  3. 3.

    The beginning or origin of something.

  4. 4.

    A person's origin or ancestry.

Forms

plural: births

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    give birth — To bear a child.
  • •
    birth certificate — An official document recording a person's birth.
  • •
    birth control — Methods to prevent pregnancy.
  • •
    by birth — By origin or ancestry.
  • •
    at birth — At the time of being born.

Related words

Antonyms: death
See also: birthday, born, death, life
Synonyms: childbirth, delivery, nativity

Etymology

From Old Norse byrðr, related to Old English gebyrd ("birth, descent"), from Proto-Germanic gaburdiz.