give birth to

Idioms & Phrases

give birth to

  1. Bear a child, as in She gave birth to her first child exactly at midnight. [Early 1800s]

  2. Also, give rise to. Be the cause or origin of. For example, His hobby gave birth to a very successful business, or The economic situation gave rise to widespread dissatisfaction. The first term dates from the early 1700s, the second from the late 1700s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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