birthdaybirth‧day /ˈbɜːθdeɪ $ ˈbɜːr-/ ●●● S1 W3 noun [countable] 
Examples
It’s my birthday on Monday. My aunt called to wish me a happy birthday. Anne’s birthday party2a day that is an exact number of years since an organization was established or an event first happened → anniversary: The City of Cleveland Orchestra is celebrating its 200th birthday.3in your birthday suit informal not wearing any clothes – used humorouslyGRAMMAR: Prepositions with birthday• You say that your birthday is on a particular date: · My birthday is on July 22nd.• You say that your birthday is in a particular month: · His birthday is in January.• You do something on your birthday: · We went out for a meal on my birthday (=to celebrate your birthday).• You get a present for your birthday: · My sister bought me a sweater for my birthday.COLLOCATIONSadjectivessomebody’s first/18th/40th etc birthday· It’s Mum’s 50th birthday tomorrow.Happy Birthday! (=said to someone on their birthday)· Happy Birthday, Linda!verbshave a good/nice etc birthday· Did you have a nice birthday?get something for your birthday· What did you get for your birthday?celebrate somebody’s birthday· He will celebrate his 90th birthday on 25th August.remember somebody’s birthday (=remember to send a card or present)· She always remembers my birthday.forget somebody’s birthday (=forget to send a card or present)· Oh no! I forgot his birthday.give something to somebody for their birthday· I never know what to give him for his birthday.birthday + NOUNa birthday card· Don’t forget to send her a birthday card.a birthday present· Have you got Lou a birthday present yet?a birthday party· Can you come to my birthday party next Saturday?a birthday cake· She had a birthday cake with 21 silver candles on it.birthday celebrations· the president’s 60th birthday celebrationsa birthday treat (=something special you do on your birthday)· What would you like to do for a birthday treat?a birthday meal· Where are you going for your birthday meal?the birthday girl/boy informal (=the person whose birthday it is)· Here comes the birthday girl!
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- It's my 18th birthday next week.
- Here the bridge between us is the Society of St Peter Apostle, whose hundredth birthday we celebrate this year.
- In this case she went back to her third birthday.
- It is five years since the settlement was established, and they are celebrating the birthday.
- Of about half a million foundlings christened in workhouses after 1728, only 40 percent survived to their second birthday.
- On my birthday in November we again lobbied the guards to have the radio for the day.
- Or rather, they photograph you only on formal occasions: birthdays, weddings, Christmas.
Longman Language Activatornot wearing any clothes► have nothing on/not have anything on
Collocations especially spoken to not be wearing any clothes: · Don't come in yet - I don't have anything on!· I didn't want to walk near the windows with nothing on.
► naked wearing no clothes - use this especially when it is surprising that someone is not wearing clothes: · He was lying on the bed, completely naked.· The magazine was full of pictures of naked men.stark nakedalso buck naked American (=completely naked): · I walked in, and Mr Tolifero was standing there buck naked.
► undressed wearing no clothes because you have just taken them off, for example to have a bath or go to bed: · When you're undressed, the nurse will come back and explain the procedure.
► bare a part of your body that is bare is not covered by any clothes: · bare feet· The dress tied around her neck, leaving her shoulders bare.
► nude a word meaning naked, used especially when talking about images of naked people in paintings, films etc: · At the front of the painting is a nude figure carrying a torch.nude photograph/scene/drawing etc (=showing someone wearing no clothes): · On the wall was a nude drawing of her husband.
► in the nude if you do something in the nude , you do it wearing no clothes at all, especially when this is unusual, exciting, or shocking: · He told me he cleans his house in the nude!· The pictures show Collier on top of a New York skyscraper in the nude.
► in your birthday suit informal without any clothes on - used humorously: · Martin's threatened to turn up for the wedding in his birthday suit.
► nudist/naturist someone who enjoys not wearing any clothes because they believe it is natural and healthy: · A close friend who is a nudist, convinced Michelle to visit the community with him.
WORD SETS► ChronologyAD, advance, verbafter, prepositionafternoon, nounalarm, nounalarm clock, nouna.m., Anno Domini, annual, adjectiveApril, nounAsh Wednesday, nounAug., August, nounautumn, nounautumnal, adjectivebank holiday, nounBC, BCE, biannual, adjectivebicentenary, nounbicentennial, nounbiennial, adjectivebimonthly, adjectivebirthday, nounbiweekly, adjectivebonfire night, nounBoxing Day, nounBritish Summer Time, nounBST, nouncalendar, nouncalendar month, nouncalendar year, nouncarriage clock, nouncentenary, nouncentury, nounChristmas, nounChristmas Day, nounChristmas Eve, nounChristmastime, nounchronograph, nounchronological, adjectivechronometer, nouncircadian, adjectiveclock, nouncrystal, nouncuckoo clock, nouncycle, nouncyclic, adjectivedaily, adjectivedaily, adverbdate, noundate, verbdawn, nounday, nounDec., decade, nounDecember, noundiamond anniversary, noundiamond jubilee, noundinnertime, noundiurnal, adjectived.o.b., due date, noundusk, nounface, nounFather's Day, nounfeast, nounFebruary, nounfortnightly, adjectiveFourth of July, the, Fri., Friday, nounGood Friday, nounGreenwich Mean Time, nounGregorian calendar, nounguy, nounGuy Fawkes Night, nounhalf-hourly, adjectivehalf-yearly, adjectiveHalloween, nounhand, nounHanukkah, nounharvest festival, nounHogmanay, nounhorn, nounhour, nounhourglass, nounhour hand, nounhr, Independence Day, nounJan., January, nounjubilee, nounJuly, nounJune, nounLabor Day, nounleap year, nounlunar month, nounmainspring, nounman-hour, nounMar., March, nounMardi Gras, nounmarket day, nounMaundy Thursday, nounMay, nounMay Day, nounMichaelmas, nounmidday, nounmiddle age, nounmiddle-aged, adjectivemidnight, nounMidsummer Day, nounmidweek, adjectivemillennium, nounmin., minute hand, nounMon., Monday, nounmonth, nounmorn, nounmorning, nounMothering Sunday, nounMother's Day, nounmovable feast, nounnew moon, nounNew Year, nounNew Year's Day, nounNew Year's Eve, nounnight, nounnightfall, nounnighttime, nounnocturnal, adjectiveNoel, nounnoon, nounnoonday, adjectiveNov., November, nounOct., October, nounp.a., Pancake Day, nounPDT, penultimate, adjectiveper annum, adverbper diem, adverbperiodic, adjectivep.m., PST, public holiday, nounquarter, nounquotidian, adjectiveRemembrance Day, nounSat., Saturday, nounschoolday, nounseason, nounsecond, nounsecond hand, nounself-winding, adjectiveSeptember, nounshockproof, adjectivesilver anniversary, nounsilver jubilee, nounsilver wedding anniversary, nounsolar year, nounsolstice, nounspring, nounspringtime, nounstandard time, nounstopwatch, nounsummer, nounsummer solstice, nounsummertime, nounsummery, adjectiveSun., Sunday, nounsundown, nounsunrise, nounsunset, nounsun-up, nountercentenary, nounThanksgiving, nounthirty, numberThursday, nountime, nountime, verbtimepiece, nountimer, nountime signal, nountime warp, nountime zone, nountoday, adverbtoday, nountomorrow, adverbtomorrow, nountonight, adverbtonight, nountriennial, adjectiveTuesday, nountwilight, nounWed., Wednesday, nounweek, nounweekday, nounweekend, nounweekly, adjectiveweeknight, nounWhit, nounWhitsun, nounwinter, nounwintertime, nounwk., wristwatch, nounyear, nounyesterday, adverbyr., Yule, nounYuletide, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadjectives► somebody’s first/18th/40th etc birthday
Phrases· It’s Mum’s 50th birthday tomorrow.
► Happy Birthday! (=said to someone on their birthday)· Happy Birthday, Linda!
verbs► have a good/nice etc birthday· Did you have a nice birthday?
► get something for your birthday· What did you get for your birthday?
► celebrate somebody’s birthday· He will celebrate his 90th birthday on 25th August.
► remember somebody’s birthday (=remember to send a card or present)· She always remembers my birthday.
► forget somebody’s birthday (=forget to send a card or present)· Oh no! I forgot his birthday.
► give something to somebody for their birthday· I never know what to give him for his birthday.
birthday + NOUN► a birthday card· Don’t forget to send her a birthday card.
► a birthday present· Have you got Lou a birthday present yet?
► a birthday party· Can you come to my birthday party next Saturday?
► a birthday cake· She had a birthday cake with 21 silver candles on it.
► birthday celebrations· the president’s 60th birthday celebrations
► a birthday treat (=something special you do on your birthday)· What would you like to do for a birthday treat?
► a birthday meal· Where are you going for your birthday meal?
► the birthday girl/boy informal (=the person whose birthday it is)· Here comes the birthday girl!
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a birthday/Christmas/wedding cake (=a special cake for a birthday etc)· Lucy had twelve candles on her birthday cake.
► a birthday/anniversary celebration· He is planning a very special 40th birthday celebration.· It was the college’s 150th anniversary celebration last night.
► a birthday gift· The camera had been a 21st birthday gift from his parents.
► a birthday party· They met at her sister’s 18th birthday party.
► a birthday present· Thanks for the birthday present.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► happy· I always regarded that as my Birthday present, of course my happy birthday only lasted about anther hour.· But the man himself was still standing, swinging happy birthday to himself.· And, happy birthday Mr Boulting.· So happy birthday to the lion as winter nears.· She says she can't give him cards or wish him happy birthday and it's sad.· So. Happy birthday, my sweet.· And have a very very happy birthday, birthday bear.
NOUN► boy· Also celebrating today is birthday boy Nathan Buckingham.· At some point in the evening, we all moved into the living room where the birthday boy opened his presents.· But good news for birthday boys and girls - the popular Birthday File will still appear from time to time.· After a while, the birthday boy or girl is summoned for a private audience with the Great Mouse himself.· And of course the birthday boy should always get the biggest slice of cake.· But birthday boy Wright was waiting to break the deadlock with the goal he had been seeking all night.· First, however, we had to let the birthday boy have his fling.
► cake· A break-in at a house in Emley Moor Road resulted in a birthday cake being stolen.· The Poole family, grouped rather self-consciously round the birthday cake on Earth, lapsed into a sudden silence.· Caterers from Lexington were providing a banquet, and the local bakery had designed a huge oval birthday cake.· Were birthday cakes, wishbones, wells and fountains, or churches better than or equal to stars?· A willingness to learn and perseverance are much more important than candles on a birthday cake.· Vivid memories of her childhood holidays go on and on about birthday cakes, pumpkin pies, fruitcakes, and homemade candy.· Make more loops around the birthday cake and the base of the cake.· Some of the world's most beautiful women have also cut more birthday cakes than Clinton.
► card· Would a line in positive birthday cards sell?· I liked thinking about him and his two daughters, about the birthday cards and telephone calls.· Little girls love flowers just as much as big girls, and you can make an excellent birthday card for a child.· Mr Haq was open for newspapers, for cigarette papers, for birthday cards and diet Cokes.· In addition to the parcels were seven birthday cards.· Herself handing over the tickets and the hotel reservations tucked into one of those extra-large birthday cards.· Thora keeps all the birthday cards she receives.· Then she realized that books were really only a sideline to his stationery business; he sold more birthday cards than books.
► cards· Would a line in positive birthday cards sell?· I liked thinking about him and his two daughters, about the birthday cards and telephone calls.· Mr Haq was open for newspapers, for cigarette papers, for birthday cards and diet Cokes.· In addition to the parcels were seven birthday cards.· Herself handing over the tickets and the hotel reservations tucked into one of those extra-large birthday cards.· Thora keeps all the birthday cards she receives.· Then she realized that books were really only a sideline to his stationery business; he sold more birthday cards than books.· The postman usually delivered bills, not birthday cards!
► celebration· But Kiwomya had the last word, capitalising on a slice of good fortune to make his birthday celebrations complete.· This Sunday afternoon in late summer, I accompany my parents to Mr Berzins's ninetieth birthday celebration.· Teenager Jamie Pollock hopes to start off week-end birthday celebrations with a win.· But they've a rather shorter run planned this birthday celebration.
► gift· And there, framed in the open left-hand doorway of the stalls, was the T'ang's birthday gift to his son.· Joan has also 194 established policies for buying birthday gifts and so forth.· You can do one of two things when it comes to your subsequent birthday gifts.· I spent a half-hour recently putting together the ultimate birthday gift for my 5-year-old niece.
► girl· Next up we would like to wish birthday girl Fiona many happy returns.· Some one else had taken Gabby home around two, and Zack had promised to drive the birthday girl home himself.
► greeting· The members wanted to visit the lady to pass on birthday greetings.· These days they hung on for their hundred-year-old birthday greetings from the White House.
► party· So this was what a birthday party was like.· Olivia, rem ember your fiftieth birthday party?· I would have to have my tenth birthday party in the rumpus-room with the girls.· After Jasper died, Abigail told me what he said to her at a birthday party he gave me.· Just a few weeks ago, Sefton was enjoying his thirtieth birthday party.· The birthday party is, appropriately, in Philadelphia.· Other opportunities Tea parties - birthday parties in particular.· In all its inanity, another birthday party for another young acquaintance.
► present· She remembered shopping with her father in that shop for a twenty-first birthday present.· Suppose your favorite uncle proudly tells you that your birthday present is a subscription to the Salmon of the Month Club.· She had made up her mind that her delayed birthday present to her daughter was to be a proper, shop-bought frock.· The numbers contain a second birthday present.· And it was a birthday present.· In the other are his birthday presents.· Bottom: A beastly birthday present!· He watched her shop for his birthday present.
► suit· Some wore swimsuits, others used birthday suits.
VERB► celebrate· Make a note in your new Letts/CAMRA diary and come and help celebrate our 21st birthday.· Meanwhile, in May, Darlington Camra will be celebrating its tenth birthday.· Read in studio Welcome back: Next year the Gloucestershire Regiment celebrates its three hundredth birthday.· It is five years since the settlement was established, and they are celebrating the birthday.· Read in studio Next week, the Royal Air Force will be celebrating its seventy-fifth birthday.· Mrs Selman celebrated her eightieth birthday just last week.· She enjoyed it so much that she fancied celebrating her next birthday with a Concorde flight to New York.· However, most February 29 babies celebrate their birthdays on February 28.
► forget· I did not forget the darling's birthday.· You know I never forget your birthday.
► mark· To mark its fiftieth birthday the Oxford-based charity Oxfam has been holding a fashion show with a difference.· The night before the election, a party was held to mark Mr Page's birthday.
► reach· He was yet to reach his thirtieth birthday, Magee thought, but ravaged beyond his years.
► remember· Never mind that I hadn't remembered my birthday either.· You remember what birthdays are like when you're small?· You always remember things like birthdays, somehow.· Does Hammett remember his mum's birthday, and does he drive a nice medium-sized Ford?· I've had them for over three years now and they haven't remembered a single birthday or Christmas.· She brings as many of these children to her home as she can and always remembers their birthdays.· They were from various aunts and cousins, and she was pleased they had remembered her birthday.· But it was a few days before my birthday, and he has always remembered my birthday.
► send· His family sent him birthday cards, but he never received them, he was already dead.
► wish· Next up we would like to wish birthday girl Fiona many happy returns.· She says she can't give him cards or wish him happy birthday and it's sad.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► in your birthday suitPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► birthday/Christmas etc greetings
1your birthday is a day that is an exact number of years after the day you were born: - Martin's threatened to turn up for the wedding in his birthday suit.
- People's voices, exchanging Christmas greetings echoed on the clear air.
- The members wanted to visit the lady to pass on birthday greetings.
- These days they hung on for their hundred-year-old birthday greetings from the White House.
It’s my birthday on Monday. My aunt called to wish me a happy birthday. Anne’s birthday party2a day that is an exact number of years since an organization was established or an event first happened → anniversary: The City of Cleveland Orchestra is celebrating its 200th birthday.3in your birthday suit informal not wearing any clothes – used humorouslyGRAMMAR: Prepositions with birthday• You say that your birthday is on a particular date: · My birthday is on July 22nd.• You say that your birthday is in a particular month: · His birthday is in January.• You do something on your birthday: · We went out for a meal on my birthday (=to celebrate your birthday).• You get a present for your birthday: · My sister bought me a sweater for my birthday.COLLOCATIONSadjectivessomebody’s first/18th/40th etc birthday· It’s Mum’s 50th birthday tomorrow.Happy Birthday! (=said to someone on their birthday)· Happy Birthday, Linda!verbshave a good/nice etc birthday· Did you have a nice birthday?get something for your birthday· What did you get for your birthday?celebrate somebody’s birthday· He will celebrate his 90th birthday on 25th August.remember somebody’s birthday (=remember to send a card or present)· She always remembers my birthday.forget somebody’s birthday (=forget to send a card or present)· Oh no! I forgot his birthday.give something to somebody for their birthday· I never know what to give him for his birthday.birthday + NOUNa birthday card· Don’t forget to send her a birthday card.a birthday present· Have you got Lou a birthday present yet?a birthday party· Can you come to my birthday party next Saturday?a birthday cake· She had a birthday cake with 21 silver candles on it.birthday celebrations· the president’s 60th birthday celebrationsa birthday treat (=something special you do on your birthday)· What would you like to do for a birthday treat?a birthday meal· Where are you going for your birthday meal?the birthday girl/boy informal (=the person whose birthday it is)· Here comes the birthday girl!