- 1 [uncountable, countable] the time when a baby is born; the process of being born The baby weighed three kilos at birth. John was present at the birth of both his children. It was a difficult birth. a hospital/home birth Mark has been blind from birth. Please state your date and place of birth. Wordfinderbabybaby, birth, child, dummy, feed, incubator, nappy, pram, premature, teethe CollocationsChildrenHaving a baby/child want a baby/a child/kids start a family conceive/be expecting/be going to have a baby/child miss your period become/get/be/find out that you are pregnant have a baby/a child/kids/a son/a daughter/twins/a family have a normal/a difficult/an unwanted pregnancy; an easy/a difficult/a home birth be in/go into/induce labour (especially US English) labor have/suffer/cause a miscarriage give birth to a child/baby/daughter/son/twinsParenting bring up/ (especially North American English) raise a child/family care for/ (especially British English) look after a baby/child/kid change (British English) a nappy/(North American English) a diaper/a baby feed/breastfeed/bottle-feed a baby be entitled to/go on maternity/paternity leave go back/return to work after maternity leave need/find/get a babysitter/good quality affordable childcare balance/combine work and childcare/child-rearing/family life educate/teach/home-school a child/kid punish/discipline/spoil a child/kid adopt a baby/child/kid offer a baby for/put a baby up for adoption (especially British English) foster a child/kid be placed with/be raised by foster parents Wordfinderbirthbirth, breech birth, caesarean, contraction, deliver, induce, labour, midwife, obstetrics, umbilical cord Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelive, normal, difficult, … verb + birthgive, register, celebrate, … birth + nouncertificate, records, date, … prepositionat birth, at a/the birth, during a/the birth, … phrasesbirths, deaths and marriages, births, marriages and deaths, your date of birth, … See full entry See related entries: Birth
- 2 [singular] the beginning of a new situation, idea, place, etc. the birth of a new society in South Africa
- 3 [uncountable] a person’s origin or the social position of their family Anne was French by birth but lived most of her life in Italy. a woman of noble birth Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivelive, normal, difficult, … verb + birthgive, register, celebrate, … birth + nouncertificate, records, date, … prepositionat birth, at a/the birth, during a/the birth, … phrasesbirths, deaths and marriages, births, marriages and deaths, your date of birth, … See full entry Word OriginMiddle English: from Old Norse byrth; related to the verb bear.Extra examples Better living conditions mean more live births and fewer stillbirths. He was American by birth, but lived in France. He was anxiously awaiting the birth of his child. She gave birth to a baby boy. The baby weighed 7 pounds at birth. The child’s father was present at the birth. They recently celebrated the birth of their second daughter. You should prepare a birth plan with your obstetrician. a low/high birth rate a registry of births, marriages and deaths the mother’s birth canal This declaration marked the birth of a new society in South Africa.Idioms
to produce a baby or young animal She died shortly after giving birth. Mary gave birth to a healthy baby girl. (figurative) It was the study of history that gave birth to the social sciences.
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