1. [n]  the event of being born; "they celebrated the birth of their first child"
2. [n]  the process of giving birth
3. [n]  the kinship relation of an offspring to the parents
4. [n]  the time when something begins (especially life); "they divorced after the birth of the child" or"his election signaled the birth of a new age"
5. [v]  give birth (to a newborn); "My wife had twins yesterday!"

1. \Birth\ (b[~e]rth), n. [OE. burth, birth, AS. beor[edt],
   gebyrd, fr. beran to bear, bring forth; akin to D. geboorte,
   OHG. burt, giburt, G. geburt, Icel. bur[eth]r, Skr. bhrti
   bearing, supporting; cf. Ir. & Gael. beirthe born, brought
   forth. [root]92. See 1st {Bear}, and cf. {Berth}.]
   1. The act or fact of coming into life, or of being born; --
      generally applied to human beings; as, the birth of a son.
   2. Lineage; extraction; descent; sometimes, high birth; noble
      extraction.
            Elected without reference to birth, but solely for
            qualifications.                       --Prescott.
   3. The condition to which a person is born; natural state or
      position; inherited disposition or tendency.
            A foe by birth to Troy's unhappy name. --Dryden.
   4. The act of bringing forth; as, she had two children at a
      birth. ``At her next birth.'' --Milton.
   5. That which is born; that which is produced, whether animal
      or vegetable.
            Poets are far rarer births than kings. --B. Jonson.
            Others hatch their eggs and tend the birth till it
            is able to shift for itself.          --Addison.
   6. Origin; beginning; as, the birth of an empire.
   {New birth} (Theol.), regeneration, or the commencement of a
      religious life.
   Syn: Parentage; extraction; lineage; race; family.
   

2. \Birth\, n.
   See {Berth}. [Obs.] --De Foe.
   

As soon as a child was born it was washed, and rubbed with salt (Ezek. 16:4), and then swathed with bandages (Job 38:9; Luke 2:7, 12). A Hebrew mother remained forty days in seclusion after the birth of a son, and after the birth of a daughter double that number of days. At the close of that period she entered into the tabernacle or temple and offered up a sacrifice of purification (Lev. 12:1-8; Luke 2:22). A son was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, being thereby consecrated to God (Gen. 17:10-12; comp. Rom. 4:11). Seasons of misfortune are likened to the pains of a woman in travail, and seasons of prosperity to the joy that succeeds child-birth (Isa. 13:8; Jer. 4:31; John 16:21, 22). The natural birth is referred to as the emblem of the new birth (John 3:3-8; Gal. 6:15; Titus 3:5, etc.).