birth
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birth¹
- /bɜːθ/ Australia, UK
- /bɜːð/ Australia, UK
- /bɜɹθ/ US
- /bɝð/ US
- /bɪɹθ/ Scotland
- /bɪɹð/ Scotland
- /bøːθ/ New Zealand
- /bøːð/ New Zealand
- /beːθ/
- /beːð/
- /bɛːθ/
- /bɛːð/
Sounds like berth (fern–fir–fur merger), boeuf (fern–fir–fur merger, non-rhotic, th-fronting) · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)θ
Where it comes from
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 *bʰŕ̥tis (compare Latin fors (“luck”), Old Irish brith), from *bʰer- (“to carry, bear”). More at bear.
noun births
- 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.
- An instance of childbirth. Intersex babies account for roughly one per cent of all births.
- A beginning or start; a point of origin. the birth of an empire
- The circumstances of one's background, ancestry, or upbringing. He was of noble birth, but fortune had not favored him.
- That which is born. That poets are far rarer births than kings.
Opposite: death
adjective
-
A familial relationship established by childbirth.
Her birth father left when she was a baby; she was raised by her mother and stepfather.
Similar: biological, blood, consanguineous
birth²
- /bɜːθ/ Australia, UK
- /bɜːð/ Australia, UK
- /bɜɹθ/ US
- /bɝð/ US
- /bɪɹθ/ Scotland
- /bɪɹð/ Scotland
- /bøːθ/ New Zealand
- /bøːð/ New Zealand
- /beːθ/
- /beːð/
- /bɛːθ/
- /bɛːð/
Sounds like berth (fern–fir–fur merger), boeuf (fern–fir–fur merger, non-rhotic, th-fronting) · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)θ
Where it comes from
From Middle English birthen, birðen, from the noun (see above).
verb births · birthing · birthed
- To bear or give birth to (a child). I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies!
- To produce, give rise to. Biological evolution created a human mind that enabled cultural evolution, which now outpaces and outclasses the force that birthed it.
birth³
- /bɜːθ/ Australia, UK
- /bɜːð/ Australia, UK
- /bɜɹθ/ US
- /bɝð/ US
- /bɪɹθ/ Scotland
- /bɪɹð/ Scotland
- /bøːθ/ New Zealand
- /bøːð/ New Zealand
- /beːθ/
- /beːð/
- /bɛːθ/
- /bɛːð/
Sounds like berth (fern–fir–fur merger), boeuf (fern–fir–fur merger, non-rhotic, th-fronting) · Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)θ
Where it comes from
See berth.
noun births
- Obsolete spelling of berth He vvas a Surgeon, and they called him Doctor; but he vvas not employed in the Sloop as a Surgeon, but vvas going to Berbadoes to get a Birth, as the Sailors call it.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: giving birth, nascence, parturition, give birth, bear, nativity, parentage, nascency, deliver, have, birthe, natal, childbearing, pregnancy, birthweight, childbirth
noun
Opposite: death
Translations
Every language
noun process of childbearing; beginning of life
| Español | nacimiento, nacencia, parto |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 출생 chulsaeng, 탄생 tansaeng |
| 日本語 | 誕生 tanjō, 出生 shusshō |
| 中文 | 出生 chūshēng |
| हिन्दी | जन्म janma, जनन janan, पैदाइश paidāiś |
| Kiswahili | zaa |
| Português | nascimento |
| Français | naissance |
| Deutsch | Geburt |
| Italiano | nascita, parto |
| Ελληνικά | γέννα génna, τοκετός toketós |
| Română | naștere, născare |
| Русский | ро́ды ródy, рожде́ние roždénije |
| Tiếng Việt | sự sinh đẻ |
| العربية | وِلَادَة wilāda, مَوْلِد mawlid, مِيلَاد mīlād, تَوَلُّد tawallud |
| עברית | לֵדָה leidá |
noun instance of childbirth
| Español | parto, alumbramiento, parición |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | जन्म janma, पैदाइश paidāiś |
| Kiswahili | zaliwa |
| Português | parto, nascimento |
| Français | accouchement |
| Deutsch | Geburt |
| Italiano | parto |
| Ελληνικά | γέννα génna, τοκετός toketós |
| Русский | рожде́ние roždénije |
| עברית | לידה leida |
noun beginning or start; a point of origin
| Español | nacimiento, orígen |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 誕生 tanjō, 成立 seiritsu, 勃興 bokkō |
| 中文 | 誕生 /诞生 dànshēng |
| हिन्दी | जन्म janma |
| Kiswahili | zaliw |
| Português | nascimento, origem |
| Deutsch | Geburt |
| Italiano | nascita |
| Ελληνικά | γέννηση génnisi |
| Română | origine, început |
| Русский | нача́ло načálo, рожде́ние roždénije, зарожде́ние zaroždénije |
| Tiếng Việt | đầu, sự ra đời |
| العربية | وِلَادَة wilāda, بدايَة |
noun circumstances of one's background
| Español | nacimiento, cuna, abolengo, nación, estirpe |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 出生 shusshō |
| Kiswahili | zaliwa |
| Português | nascimento |
| Deutsch | Abstammung |
| Italiano | nascita |
| Ελληνικά | καταγωγή katagogí |
| Tiếng Việt | dòng dõi, gốc |
Talk about this word "birth." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/birth. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. birth. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/birth "birth." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/birth.Cite this
@misc{birth_2026,
title = {birth},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/birth},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
