the time when something begins (especially life)
"they divorced after the birth of the child"
"his election signaled the birth of a new age"
the process of giving birth
"After hours of labor, the mother finally pushed through the pain to complete her birth."
a baby born; an offspring
"the overall rate of incidence of Down's syndrome is one in every 800 births"
The process of childbearing; the beginning of life.
"After weeks of labor, she finally witnessed the miracle of birth as her baby took its first breath into the world."
In plain English: Birth is the moment when a baby comes out of its mother's body and starts living on its own.
"The hospital celebrated the birth of their new baby girl."
Usage: Use "birth" to refer specifically to the moment a baby is born or the event of coming into existence. Do not use it to describe general creation or the start of something abstract like a project or an era.
To bear or give birth to (a child).
"After months of labor, she finally gave birth to a healthy baby boy."
In plain English: To give birth means to have a baby come out of your body.
"The baby was born at dawn after eight hours of labor."
Usage: Use "birth" only as a noun referring to the event of coming into existence; do not use it as a verb. The correct verb form for giving life to a child is "bear" or "give birth."
A familial relationship established by childbirth.
"Even though they were adopted, he considers his foster parents as his true birth family because of the legal tie to their lineage."
"The birth mother gave her child to another family for adoption."
Usage: Do not use "birth" as an adjective; instead, use it only as a noun to refer to the act of being born or the state of existence. To describe someone related by blood through childbirth, say they are your "birth family" rather than calling them your "birth relative."
The word "birth" comes from the Old Norse burðr, meaning "burden," which replaced an older Old English term. It entered Middle English as birthe around 1250 and eventually evolved into its modern form.