birth

English Online Dictionary. What means birth‎? What does birth mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: bûth, IPA^(key): /bɜːθ/, verb also: IPA^(key): /bɜːð/
• (US) enPR: bûrth, IPA^(key): /bɝθ/, verb also: IPA^(key): /bɝð/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)θ
• Homophone: berth

Etymology 1

From Middle English birthe (1250), from earlier burthe, burde, from Old Norse burðr, byrd (Old Swedish byrth, Swedish börd), replacing Old English ġebyrd (rare variant byrþ), equivalent to bear +‎ -th (thus a piecewise doublet of berth). The Old Norse is from Proto-Germanic *burdiz (compare Old Frisian berde, berd); Old English ġebyrd is from prefixed *gaburþiz (compare Dutch geboorte, German Geburt), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰr̥tis (compare Latin fors (“luck”), Old Irish brith), from *bʰer- (“to carry, bear”). More at bear.

Noun

birth (countable and uncountable, plural births)

1. (uncountable) The process of childbearing; the beginning of life; the emergence of a human baby or other viviparous animal offspring from the mother's body into the environment.
2. (countable) An instance of childbirth.

3. (countable) A beginning or start; a point of origin.

4. (uncountable) The circumstances of one's background, ancestry, or upbringing.
5. That which is born.

Usage notes

Birth and childbirth: Childbirth connotes the event as it occurs to the mother, whereas birth connotes it as it occurs to the offspring. For example, "the pain of childbirth" suggests pain the mother feels, while "the pain of birth" suggests pain the baby feels. Either term can be used from an outside perspective (Fathers are more and more frequently present at the birth/at childbirth).

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “beginning of life”): death

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

birth (not comparable)

1. A familial relationship established by childbirth.

Synonyms

• biological, blood, consanguineous

Etymology 2

From Middle English birthen, birðen, from the noun (see above).

Verb

birth (third-person singular simple present births, present participle birthing, simple past and past participle birthed)

1. (transitive) To bear or give birth to (a child).
2. (transitive, figuratively) To produce, give rise to.

Usage notes

• The term give birth (to) is much more common, especially in literal use.

Derived terms

Related terms

• bear
• born

Translations

Etymology 3

See berth.

Noun

birth (plural births)

1. Obsolete spelling of berth.

References

Albanian

Etymology 1

From birë (“hole”).

Noun

birth m (plural birthe, definite birthi, definite plural birthat)

1. pimple, blemish

Related terms

• birë

Etymology 2

Diminutive -th lengthening of bir (“son”).

Noun

birth m (plural birthe, definite birthi, definite plural birthat)

1. son, little boy