- 1[uncountable, countable] the time when a baby is born; the process of being born The baby weighed 8 pounds at birth. John was present at the birth of both his children. It was a difficult birth. a hospital/home birth Mark has been blind from birth. Please state your date and place of birth. Topic CollocationsChildrenhaving a baby/child
- want (to have) a baby/a child/children/kids
- start a family
- conceive/be expecting/be going to have a baby/child
- miss your period
- become/get/ be/find out that you are pregnant
- have a baby/a child/kids/a son/a daughter/twins/a family
- have a normal/a difficult/an unwanted pregnancy; an easy/a difficult birth/labor
- be in/go into/induce labor
- have/suffer/cause a miscarriage
- give birth to a child/a baby/a daughter/a son/twins
- bring up/raise a child/a family
- care for/watch a baby/child/kid
- change a diaper/a baby
- nurse/feed/breastfeed/bottle-feed a baby
- be entitled to/go on maternity/paternity leave
- go back/return to work after maternity leave
- need/find/get a babysitter/high-quality, affordable childcare/a nanny
- balance/combine work and childcare/child-rearing/family (life)
- educate/teach/home-school a child/a kid/children
- punish/discipline/spoil a child/a kid/children
- adopt/foster a baby/a child/a kid/children
- offer a baby for/put a baby up for adoption
- be placed with/be raised by foster parents
- 2[singular] the beginning of a new situation, idea, place, etc. the birth of a new society in South Africa
- 3[uncountable] a person's origin or the social position of their family Anne was French by birth but lived most of her life in Italy. a woman of noble birth Idioms
to produce a baby or young animal She died shortly after giving birth. Mary gave birth to a healthy baby girl. (figurative) It was the study of history that gave birth to the social sciences.
Check pronunciation: birth