birthing

Pluralbirthings

1. 1
   nouncountablebefore a noun

   The act of giving birth to a child.

   The birthing lasted nearly twelve hours before the child finally arrived.

   Home birthings have grown more common in recent years.

   Similardelivery, childbirth, labor

   Note

   Built simply from birth plus -ing, the noun does much of its work in front of other nouns: a birthing room, a birthing partner, a birthing pool. In that position it names where or how a birth happens rather than the event itself. On its own it overlaps with the verb's -ing form, and grammar tells them apart: the birthing of the foal is a noun, while birthing the foal takes an object.

   She toured the hospital's birthing room a month before her due date.

   The midwife suggested a birthing pool to ease the labor.

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of birth.

   The vet spent all night birthing the mare's foal.

   Birthing a healthy calf requires patience and careful attention.

   Note

   The verb behind this form is transitive, so the -ing form normally takes a direct object: birthing a calf, birthing a foal. The verb also has a figurative reach, meaning to produce or give rise to, which lets the participle stretch to ideas and movements as readily as to animals. Without an object, it usually shades into the noun for the act.

3. 3
   noun

   Alternative spelling of berthing. The usual spelling is berthing.

   The harbor pilot oversaw the birthing of the freighter at dawn.

   Strong crosswinds made birthing the tanker far harder than usual.

   Note

   The spelling borrows from birth, but the word belongs to the sea: a berth is a ship's resting place at a dock. Berthing covers bringing a vessel to that place, a berth in the figurative sense of somewhere to sleep, and, in obsolete use, the planking above the sheer strake. In careful writing, berthing keeps the nautical word clear of the childbirth noun.

Showing meanings only. Show all 3