birth

Everyday

1. Birth is the time when a baby or young animal comes out of its mother's body and starts living in the world. tree →
2. Birth is the beginning of something: the birth of a new nation. tree →
3. By birth means by the family or place you were born into: Irish by birth. tree →

In the lessons

In science, pupils study life cycles: birth, growth, adulthood, reproduction, old age, death; mammals give birth to live young, while birds and reptiles lay eggs. In everyday life: date of birth on forms, birth certificates, birthdays (the day you were born, celebrated every year). In history, «the birth of» the internet or of a country. Phrases: give birth to, at birth, date of birth, birth certificate, birthplace, birth weight.

Examples

• The cow gave birth to a calf last night. tree →
• Mammals give birth to live babies. tree →
• Write your date of birth on the form. tree →
• My baby sister weighed 3 kilograms at birth. tree →
• We watched the birth of the lambs on the farm. tree →
• The town is his birthplace. tree →
• The story tells the birth of a new kingdom. tree →
• ‘Of noble birth!’ said the Darning-needle; ‘no indeed, but proud! tree →

Note

Usually uncountable for the event («at birth»), countable for counting («many births»). Homophone: «berth» (a bed on a ship or train, or a place for a ship in a harbour) sounds the same. «Give birth to» — not «born to» for the mother: «She gave birth to twins»; «The twins were born.»

In Jewish tradition

The time when a person is born, and also a family order, as in tribes named in order of birth. Job wishes he had died at birth, and a psalm says God has cared for the speaker since birth.

Interpretation. The names of the tribes are engraved in order of birth on the priest's shoulder stones. The tradition reads the psalm as showing that God watches over a person from the very beginning of life.

Examples

• six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other stone, according to their birth. (Torah EXO.28.10, JPS 1917) tree →
• Four vowels n"2'BX, which are five vowels, that gave birth to twenty-seven consonants. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →
• Why did I not perish at birth? (Writings JOB.3.11, JPS 1917) tree →
• Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that never saw light. (Writings JOB.3.16, JPS 1917) tree →
• Upon Thee I have been cast from my birth; Thou art my God from my mother's womb. (Writings PSA.22.11, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Usually uncountable for the event («at birth»), countable for counting («many births»). Homophone: «berth» (a bed on a ship or train, or a place for a ship in a harbour) sounds the same. «Give birth to» — not «born to» for the mother: «She gave birth to twins»; «The twins were born.»