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definitions

birthday

[ burth-dey ]
/ ˈbɜrθˌdeɪ /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR birthday ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the anniversary of a birth.
the day of a person's birth.
a day marking or commemorating the origin, founding, or beginning of something.
the festivities or celebration marking such a day or anniversary.

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Nearby words

  1. birth rate,
  2. birth trauma,
  3. birth weight,
  4. birth-control pill,
  5. birthdate,
  6. birthday honours,
  7. birthday suit,
  8. birther,
  9. birthing,
  10. birthing ball

Origin of birthday

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at birth, day
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for birthday

British Dictionary definitions for birthday

birthday

/ (ˈbɜːθˌdeɪ) /

noun

  1. an anniversary of the day of one's birth
  2. (as modifier)birthday present
the day on which a person was born
any anniversary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for birthday

birthday

n.

late 14c., from Old English byrddæg, "anniversary celebration of someone's birth" (at first usually a king or saint); see birth (n.) + day. Meaning "day on which one is born" is from 1570s. Birthnight is attested from 1620s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper