birthnoun
uk/bɜːθ/us/bɝːθ/A2 [ C or U ] the time when a baby or young animal comes out of its mother's body:
It was a difficult birth.
He weighed eight pounds at birth.
More men are present at the births of their children these days.
The application form will ask for your country/place of birth (= where you were born).
[ C ] a child that is born:
The percentage of live births (= children who are born alive and continue to live) continues to increase.
Registration of births and deaths became compulsory in 1871.
[ U ] the position of the family into which you are born, especially its social position:
He had received all the advantages of birth (= having been born into a family of a high social class) and an expensive education.
American, Italian, etc. by birth
B2 born in a particular place or having parents of a particular nationality:
Oscar Wilde was Irish by birth.
C1 the beginning of something:
These asteroids were formed at the birth of the solar system.
More examples
- I weighed 10 lb at birth.
- Elaine and Ian Gibson proudly announce the birth of their son, John Maurice.
- She's been blind since birth.
- I've filled in the form, but you still need to insert your bank details and date of birth.
- Research has demonstrated that babies can recognize their mother's voice very soon after birth.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Obstetrics: birth
- antenatal
- birth defect
- born
- born
- breech
- C-section
- caesarean
- childbirth
- contraction
- delivery
- give birth idiom
- induce
- maternity ward
- midwifery
- obstetric
- posh
- prenatal
- puerperal
- rooming-in
- section
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Organizations - position & status
Innate and congenital
Idiom(s)
give birth