give birth

idiom

Formsgives birth, giving birth, gave birth, given birth

3 meanings of give birth

1
have a babyidiomintransitive
Of a human or other animal that bears live young, to deliver offspring from the body.
She went into labor on the subway and nearly gave birth before reaching the hospital.
Gray whales travel south each winter to give birth in warm, sheltered lagoons.
Similardeliver
Note
The phrase belongs to animals that bear live young, women and whales alike; an animal that lays eggs does not give birth. It inflects like give itself, so a mother gave birth yesterday or has given birth, and on its own it names the event: she was about to give birth. What is born comes in with the construction with to.
2
have a babyidiomtransitive
To become the parent of a child or young animal by bearing it.
The zoo's giraffe gave birth to a healthy calf early Sunday morning.
Every spring, hundreds of seals give birth to pups on this stretch of beach.
Similarbear, deliver, produce
Note
The newborn always follows to, never birth directly: she gave birth to a girl, the giraffe gave birth to a calf, seals give birth to pups. Reports of a birth tend to name the baby's sex or health in the same breath, as in a healthy calf or a beautiful baby girl, and twins or triplets slot into the same frame.
3
start somethingidiomfigurativelytransitive
To become the source or origin of something.
The protests of that summer gave birth to a movement that spread across the country.
Bold experiments in small kitchens often give birth to new styles of cooking.
Similarspawn, spark, produce, generate, create

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of give birth apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.