Meanings
plural childbirths · alternative child-birth
- uncountableusuallyThe fact or action of giving birth to a child, as the culmination of pregnancy; the process by which it happens.
Near-synonyms: labour, delivery (the moment of emergence)
1 more example
The preference for tightness during intercourse is so well known in Western culture that U.S. obstetricians even have a term for the extra stitch they often perform when doing episiotomy repairs following childbirth: the "husband's stitch." The husband's stitch is intended to produce a smaller vaginal opening, to counteract the natural stretching of the tissues from sexual activity and childbirth and even to make the opening more constricted than it might have been before.
2001, Ellen Gruenbaum, The Female Circumcision Controversy: An Anthropological PerspectiveSynonyms: parturition, labour, delivery · Antonyms: death
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe fact or action of giving birth to a child, as the culmination of pregnancy; the process by which it happens.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe parturition process in human beings; having a baby; the process of giving birth to a child
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Norsebarnburðr“childbearing, childbirth”
- Middle Englishchildbyrth
- Englishchildbirth
From Middle English childbyrth [and other forms], perhaps a partial calque of Old Norse barnburðr (“childbearing, childbirth”, literally “bairn birth”); equivalent to child + birth. Compare Swedish barnsbörd (“childbirth”), Icelandic barnsburður (“childbirth”).
More words from Middle English, Old Norse
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek τοκετός, παιδογονία
- τοκετός (toketós)act of giving birth
- παιδογονία (paidogonía)act of giving birth
- τόκος (tókos)act of giving birth
Arabic مَخَاض, وَضْع
- مَخَاض (maḵāḍ)act of giving birth
- وَضْع (waḍʕ)act of giving birth
- وِلَادَة (wilāda)act of giving birth
Bengali প্রসব
- প্রসব (prośob)act of giving birth
Bulgarian ра́ждане
- ра́ждане (ráždane)act of giving birth
Chinese Mandarin 分娩, 生產 /生产
- 分娩 (fēnmiǎn)act of giving birth
- 生產 /生产 (shēngchǎn)act of giving birth
- 娩 (miǎn)act of giving birth
Czech porod
- porodact of giving birth
Danish fødsel
- fødselact of giving birth
Dutch bevalling
- bevallingact of giving birth
Esperanto akuŝo
- akuŝoact of giving birth
Estonian sünnitus
- sünnitusact of giving birth
Finnish synnytys
- synnytysact of giving birth
French accouchement, parturition
- accouchementact of giving birth
- parturitionact of giving birth
- naissanceact of giving birth
German Entbindung, Geburt
- Entbindungact of giving birth
- Geburtact of giving birth
- Geburt eines Kindesact of giving birth
- Gebärenact of giving birth
- Niederkunftact of giving birth
- Partusact of giving birth
- Parturitioact of giving birth
Greek γέννα, τοκετός
- γέννα (génna)act of giving birth
- τοκετός (toketós)act of giving birth
Hebrew לידה \ לֵדָה
- לידה \ לֵדָה (leidá)act of giving birth
Hindi प्रसव, प्रसूति
- प्रसव (prasav)act of giving birth
- प्रसूति (prasūti)act of giving birth
- जापा (jāpā)act of giving birth
Hungarian szülés
- szülésact of giving birth
Icelandic barnsburður, barnsfæðing
- barnsburðuract of giving birth
- barnsfæðingact of giving birth
- fæðingact of giving birth
Indonesian parturisi, partus
- parturisiact of giving birth
- partusact of giving birth
- persalinanact of giving birth
- kelahiranact of giving birth
Irish breith clainne
- breith clainneact of giving birth
Italian parto
- partoact of giving birth
Japanese 分身, 分娩
- 分身 (bunshin)act of giving birth
- 分娩 (bunben)act of giving birth
- 出産 (shussan)act of giving birth
Korean 분만, 해산
- 분만 (bunman)act of giving birth
- 해산 (haesan)act of giving birth
- 출산 (chulsan)act of giving birth
Latin partus, puerperium
- partusact of giving birth
- puerperiumact of giving birth
Latvian dzemdības
- dzemdībasact of giving birth
Lithuanian gimdymas
- gimdymasact of giving birth
Māori whānautanga, taunahua
- whānautangaact of giving birth
- taunahuaact of giving birth
Norwegian Bokmål barnefødsel, fødsel
- barnefødselact of giving birth
- fødselact of giving birth
Persian زایِمان, وَضْعِ حَمْل
- زایِمان (zâyemân)act of giving birth
- وَضْعِ حَمْل (vaz'-e haml)act of giving birth
- وِلادَت (velâdat)act of giving birth
Polish poród
- poródact of giving birth
Portuguese parto
- partoact of giving birth
Romanian parturiție, naștere
- parturițieact of giving birth
- naștereact of giving birth
Russian ро́ды, рожде́ние
- ро́ды (ródy)act of giving birth
- рожде́ние (roždénije)act of giving birth
Scottish Gaelic tinneas-cloinne
- tinneas-cloinneact of giving birth
Slovak pôrod, rodenie
- pôrodact of giving birth
- rodenieact of giving birth
Spanish parto, nacimiento
- partoact of giving birth
- nacimientoact of giving birth
- alumbramientoact of giving birth
Swedish förlossning, födsel
- förlossningact of giving birth
- födselact of giving birth
Thai การคลอด
- การคลอด (gaan-klɔ̂ɔt)act of giving birth
Turkish doğurma
- doğurmaact of giving birth
Ukrainian ро́ди, поло́ги
- ро́ди (ródy)act of giving birth
- поло́ги (polóhy)act of giving birth
Urdu وَضْعِ حَمْل, وِلادَت
- وَضْعِ حَمْل (vaz'-i haml)act of giving birth
- وِلادَت (vilādat)act of giving birth
- جاپا (jāpā)act of giving birth
- زَچْگی (zacgī)act of giving birth
Vietnamese sinh con
- sinh conact of giving birth
Yiddish קימפּעט
- קימפּעט (kimpet)act of giving birth
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
childbirth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/childbirth
“childbirth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/childbirth. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “childbirth,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/childbirth.
Source: childbirth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.