The emergence and separation of offspring from the body of the mother.
The act or process of bearing young; parturition: the mare's second birth.
The circumstances or conditions relating to this event, as its time or location: an incident that took place before my birth; a Bostonian by birth.
The set of characteristics or circumstances received from one's ancestors; inheritance: strong-willed by birth; acquired their wealth through birth.
Origin; extraction: of Swedish birth; of humble birth.
Noble or high status: persons of birth.
The set of characteristics or circumstances received from one's ancestors; inheritance: strong-willed by birth; acquired their wealth through birth.
Origin; extraction: of Swedish birth; of humble birth.
Noble or high status: persons of birth.
A beginning or commencement. See Synonyms at beginning.
tr.v.
birthed, birth·ing, birthsChiefly Southern U.S.
To deliver (a baby).
To bear (a child).
[Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; see bher-1 in Indo-European roots.]
Until recently the use of birth as a verb meaning "to bear (a child)" has been confined to Southern speech: "Heap o' good it do a woman to birth a mess o' young uns and raise 'em and then have 'em all go off to oncet" (Marjorie K. Rawlings). Recently, however, the nonstandard Southern usage has coincided with widespread usage of verbs derived from nouns, such as parent, network, and microwave. Birth in this new usage is most commonly found in its present participial form and is used as an adjective in compounds such as birthing center.
c.1230, from O.N. *byrðr, which replaced O.E. gebyrd "birth," from P.Gmc. *gaburthis (cf. Ger. geburt, Goth. gabaurþs), from PIE *bhrto pp. of base *bher- "to bear" (cf. Skt. bhrtih "a bringing, maintenance," L. fors, gen. fortis "chance;" see bear (v.)). Suffix -th is for "process" (as in bath, death). Meaning "parentage, lineage, extraction" is from c.1240. Birthday is c.1000; birthnight is 1628; birthplace is from 1607; birthright is 1535. Birth control first attested 1914. Birthday suit first attested 1730s, but probably much older.
the time when something begins (especially life); "they divorced after the birth of the child"; "his election signaled the birth of a new age" [ant: death]
2.
the event of being born; "they celebrated the birth of their first child" [ant: death]
birthAudio Help (bûrth) Pronunciation Key
Noun
The emergence and separation of offspring from the body of its mother, seen in all mammals except monotremes.
Adjective
Present at birth, as a defect in a bodily structure.
Berth\, n. [From the root of bear to produce, like birth nativity. See Birth.] [Also written birth.]1. (Naut.) (a) Convenient sea room. (b) A room in which a number of the officers or ship's company mess and reside. (c) The place where a ship lies when she is at anchor, or at a wharf. 2. An allotted place; an appointment; situation or employment. "He has a good berth." --Totten. 3. A place in a ship to sleep in; a long box or shelf on the side of a cabin or stateroom, or of a railway car, for sleeping in. Berth deck, the deck next below the lower gun deck. --Ham. Nav. Encyc. To give (the land or any object) a wide berth, to keep at a distance from it.
Berth\, n. [From the root of bear to produce, like birth nativity. See Birth.] [Also written birth.]1. (Naut.) (a) Convenient sea room. (b) A room in which a number of the officers or ship's company mess and reside. (c) The place where a ship lies when she is at anchor, or at a wharf. 2. An allotted place; an appointment; situation or employment. "He has a good berth." --Totten. 3. A place in a ship to sleep in; a long box or shelf on the side of a cabin or stateroom, or of a railway car, for sleeping in. Berth deck, the deck next below the lower gun deck. --Ham. Nav. Encyc. To give (the land or any object) a wide berth, to keep at a distance from it.
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Audio Help [burth] Pronunciation Key 
