[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/birth/) [dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [B](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/b/) / birth # birth noun (birth, births) «birth» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova. ## 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#m1) 2. Birth is the beginning of something: the birth of a new nation. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#m2) 3. By birth means by the family or place you were born into: Irish by birth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#m3) ### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#x1) - Mammals give birth to live babies. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#x2) - Write your date of birth on the form. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#x3) - My baby sister weighed 3 kilograms at birth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#x4) - We watched the birth of the lambs on the farm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#x5) - The town is his birthplace. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#x6) - The story tells the birth of a new kingdom. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#x7) - ‘Of noble birth!’ said the Darning-needle; ‘no indeed, but proud! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/#x8) ### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/birth/#x1) - 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/birth/#x2) - Why did I not perish at birth? (Writings JOB.3.11, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/birth/#x3) - Or as a hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants that never saw light. (Writings JOB.3.16, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/birth/#x4) - 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/birth/#x5) ### 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.» ## On Mova - [Trees and pragmatics of «birth» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/birth/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames. - [«birth» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/birth.html) on Mova free. - [Trees and pragmatics of «birth» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/birth/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames. - [«birth» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/birth.html) on Mova free.