give birth to
Idioms-
Bear a child, as in She gave birth to her first child exactly at midnight . [Early 1800s]
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Also, give rise to . Be the cause or origin of. For example, His hobby gave birth to a very successful business , or The economic situation gave rise to widespread dissatisfaction . The first term dates from the early 1700s, the second from the late 1700s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For a population to replace itself, each woman needs to give birth to 2.1 children on average.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Scott promoted Tarlov to co-host right before she was due to give birth to her first child.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Smith's partner is due to give birth to their second child in the coming days, but the Surrey player was named in England's XI by coach Brendon McCullum on Monday.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
But superpowered paychecks and a ripped torso don’t necessarily bring inner peace — alternatively, they might give birth to some uncomfortable “Night Thoughts.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
She didn’t intend to give birth to such a person.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
