different between birthday vs birth

English

Etymology

From Middle English birthdai, birtheday, from Old English ?ebyrddæ? (“birthday”), equivalent to birth +? day. Compare Saterland Frisian Gebuursdai (“birthday”), Dutch geboortedag (“birthday”), Low German Geboortsdag (“birthday”), German Geburtstag (“birthday”), Norwegian bursdag, gebursdag (“birthday”).

Eclipsed non-native Middle English nativitee (“birth, nativity, birthday”), from Old French nativité, nativited, from Latin n?t?vitas.

Pronunciation

• (UK): IPA^(key): /?b???.de?/
• (Received Pronunciation): IPA^(key): /?b???.d?/
• (US): enPR: bûrth?d?', IPA^(key): /?b???de?/

Noun

birthday (plural birthdays)

1. The anniversary of the day on which someone is born. [From 1570s]
   • 1867, Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, Chapter 2: Treats Of Oliver Twist's Growth, Education, And Board,

     Oliver Twist's ninth birthday found him a pale thin child, somewhat diminutive in stature, and decidedly small in circumference.

   • 1903, L. Frank Baum, The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People, The Fifth Surprise: The Monarch Celebrates His Birthday,

     One of the Wise Men said the King was born in February; another declared it was in May, and a third figured the great event happened in October. So the King issued a royal decree that he should have three birthdays every year, in order to be on the safe side; and whenever he happened to think of it he put in an odd birthday or two for luck.

   • 1906, Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children, Chapter 9: The pride of Perks,

     "And we thought we'd make a nice birthday for him. He's been so awfully jolly decent to us, you know, Mother," said Peter, "and we agreed that next bun-day we'd ask you if we could."

   • c. 1911, Cotton Mather, Worthington Chauncey Ford (editor), Diary of Cotton Mather, Volume 1: 1681-1708, footnote, page 1,

     It was his custom to begin a new year's record on February 12, his birthday.

   • 1921 June 4, Birthday Honours — Companions of Honour, in The Times,

     The King's Birthday, which occurred yesterday, will be officially observed to-day, and the customary list of honours conferred on the occasion is published.

2. The anniversary of the day on which something is created.
3. The date on which someone is born or something is created, more commonly called birthdate or date of birth.
4. A birthday party

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

birthday (third-person singular simple present birthdays, present participle birthdaying, simple past and past participle birthdayed)

1. (intransitive, informal) To celebrate one's birthday.

See also

• deathday
• name day

Anagrams

• tharybid

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: bûth, IPA^(key): /b???/, verb also: IPA^(key): /b??ð/
• (US) enPR: bûrth, IPA^(key): /b??/, verb also: IPA^(key): /b?ð/
• Rhymes: -??(?)?
• Homophone: berth

Etymology 1

From Middle English birthe (1250), from earlier burthe, burde, from Old Norse burðr, byrd (Old Swedish byrth, Swedish börd), replacing Old English ?ebyrd (rare variant byrþ), equivalent to bear +? -th (compare also berth). The Old Norse is from Proto-Germanic *burdiz (compare Old Frisian berde, berd); Old English ?ebyrd is from prefixed *gaburþiz (compare Dutch geboorte, German Geburt), from Proto-Indo-European *b?r?tis (compare Latin fors (“luck”), Old Irish brith), from *b?er- (“to carry, bear”). More at bear.

Noun

birth (countable and uncountable, plural births)

1. (uncountable) The process of childbearing; the beginning of life.
2. (countable) An instance of childbirth.

3. (countable) A beginning or start; a point of origin.

4. (uncountable) The circumstances of one's background, ancestry, or upbringing.
5. That which is born.
6. Misspelling of berth.

Antonyms

• (beginning of life): death

Translations

Adjective

birth (not comparable)

1. A familial relationship established by childbirth.

   Her birth father left when she was a baby; she was raised by her mother and stepfather.

Synonyms

• biological, blood, consanguineous

Etymology 2

From Middle English birthen, birðen, from the noun (see above).

Verb

birth (third-person singular simple present births, present participle birthing, simple past and past participle birthed)

1. (dated or regional) To bear or give birth to (a child).
2. (figuratively) To produce, give rise to.

Usage notes

• The term give birth (to) is much more common, especially in literal use.

Related terms

• bear
• born

Translations

Derived terms

References

Albanian

Etymology 1

From birë (“hole”).

Noun

birth m (indefinite plural birthe, definite singular birthi, definite plural birthat)

1. pimple, blemish

Related terms

• birë

Etymology 2

Diminutive -th lengthening of bir (“son”).

Noun

birth m (indefinite plural birthe, definite singular birthi, definite plural birthat)

1. son, little boy