noun
birth
burth
noun
1
The event of being born; the moment a baby or animal comes into the world.
"She was exhausted but overjoyed after the birth of her son."
"The zoo announced the birth of two rare tiger cubs."
2
The start or origin of something.
"The meeting marked the birth of a new political movement."
verb
1
To give birth to, or to bring something into existence.
"The lab birthed a whole new field of research."
How to Use Birth
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBeing born, or the start of something new.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "berth" (a bed on a ship/train, or a parking spot for a vessel) — they sound identical but are unrelated in modern use.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
give birth
at birth
birth of a nation
date of birth
Word Forms
birthed past tense, births plural, births singular
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She was exhausted but overjoyed after the _____ of her son.
Etymology
From Middle English birthe, borrowed from Old Norse burðr, ultimately from the same ancient root as the verb "to bear" — so birth literally means "the act of bearing (a child)".