INDEX:
1. a baby
2. a baby animal
3. a baby that is still developing in its mother’s body
4. when a baby is born
5. to have a baby
6. to help with the birth of a baby
7. having a baby developing in your body
8. for or relating to a woman who is going to have a baby
9. the period in which a baby is developing inside its mother
10. when a baby is not born alive
11. methods used to prevent a woman becoming pregnant
12. to be able to have babies
13. to be unable to have babies
14. the process of people or animals producing babies
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ CHILD
↑ FAMILY
↑ FATHER
↑ MOTHER
◆◆◆
1. a baby
▷ baby /ˈbeɪbi/ [countable noun]
a very young child, especially one who has not yet learned to speak or walk :
▪ Would you mind looking after the baby for us on Saturday afternoon?
baby girl/boy
▪ a four-day-old baby girl
baby clothes/food/milk etc
for babies
▪ Let’s see if there are any nice baby clothes in the sales.
▷ infant /ˈɪnfənt/ [countable noun]
a baby :
▪ Her parents both died when she was an infant.
▪ There are clear differences in speed of learning between infants at this early stage.
infant son/daughter
▪ The couple have a three-year-old son and an infant daughter.
infant mortality
the number of babies that die in a society
▪ There has been a sharp rise in infant mortality since the drought began.
▷ child /tʃaɪld/ [countable noun] formal
a baby at the time when it is born or before it is born :
▪ Medical staff, seeing that the child was in danger, decided to perform an operation.
somebody’s first/second etc child
▪ Michael and Ronda had their first child last year.
▪ Roberta’s second child weighed over four kilos at birth.
▷ newborn /ˈnjuːbɔːʳnǁˈnuː-/ [adjective]
newborn baby/child/ infant
a baby etc that has just been born :
▪ Relatives and friends all wanted to see the newborn baby.
▪ Newborn infants spend a lot of time sleeping.
▪ The average weight of a newborn baby is about seven pounds.
newborn [countable noun]
▪ It is normal for newborns newborn babies to have very large heads.
2. a baby animal
▷ young /jʌŋ/ [plural noun]
the babies of an animal or bird :
▪ The mother bird’s main concern is to provide food for her young.
▪ Kangaroos carry their young in a pouch.
▷ baby /ˈbeɪbi/ [adjective only before noun]
baby animal/rabbit/elephant etc
a very young animal, rabbit etc - used especially by or to children :
▪ In the zoo there is a small farm where children can look at the baby animals.
▪ Baby monkeys cling to their mother’s backs.
▷ newborn /ˈnjuːbɔːʳnǁˈnuː-/ [adjective]
a newborn animal is one that has just been born :
▪ Newborn kittens cannot open their eyes.
▪ a mother sheep with her newborn lamb
▷ litter /ˈlɪtəʳ/ [countable noun]
a group of several baby animals that are born at the same time and have the same mother :
▪ The vet asked how many litters the dog had had.
▪ Our cat, Elsie, just had a litter of six kittens.
3. a baby that is still developing in its mother’s body
▷ unborn child/baby /ˌʌnbɔːʳn ˈtʃaɪld, ˈbeɪbi/ [countable noun]
▪ Doctors do not know what the long-term effects of the drug will be on the unborn child.
▪ Petra could feel her unborn baby moving inside her.
▷ fetus/foetus /ˈfiːtəs/ [countable noun] British
a baby that is developing in its mother’s body - used especially by doctors :
▪ By the end of the third month of pregnancy the foetus is a miniature human being.
▪ The research focuses on how alcohol may harm the fetus.
▷ embryo /ˈembriəʊ/ [countable noun]
a baby that is in the very early stage of development inside its mother’s body :
▪ When first formed, the embryo is only half a millimetre long.
▪ The government has banned all scientific research using human embryos.
4. when a baby is born
▷ be born /biː ˈbɔːʳn/ [verb phrase]
▪ Karen’s baby was born six weeks early.
▪ All our children were born in the same hospital.
▷ birth /bɜːʳθ/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the fact or process of being born :
▪ It was a very difficult birth.
▪ There have been three births in our family this year.
birth of
▪ It’s quite common now for fathers to be present at the birth of their babies.
at birth
at the time when someone is born
▪ Most birds cannot identify their parents at birth and simply follow the first moving object they see.
▷ arrive /əˈraɪv/ [intransitive verb]
to be born - use this especially to talk about the time a baby is born :
▪ The baby arrived at five minutes past midnight.
▪ Has your sister’s baby arrived yet?
arrival [uncountable noun]
▪ The arrival of our first child brought new joy into our lives.
▷ come along /ˌkʌm əˈlɒŋǁ-əˈlɔːŋ/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
a word meaning to be born - use this especially to talk about how the baby’s birth affects its parents’ lives :
▪ I was studying to be an accountant, but then the baby came along and I had to give it all up.
▪ By the time her third child came along, Mrs Jones had strong ideas on how children should be brought up.
5. to have a baby
▷ have a baby/have twins/have kittens etc /ˌhæv ə ˈbeɪbi/ [verb phrase]
▪ Having a baby changes your life completely.
▪ After my wife had the twins, we were struggling financially for a while.
▪ Our dog had six puppies while we were away on vacation.
▷ give birth /ˌgɪv ˈbɜːʳθ/ [verb phrase]
to have a baby - use this especially to talk about the actual process of doing this :
▪ Zelda was admitted to the hospital at one o'clock, and gave birth two hours later.
give birth to a child/daughter etc
▪ When Pablo was three, his mother gave birth to a daughter.
▷ become a mother /bɪˌkʌm ə ˈmʌðəʳ/ [verb phrase]
to have a baby for the first time :
▪ Rachel was looking forward to becoming a mother.
become the mother of a son/twins etc
▪ Nine months later she became the mother of a son, who was named George.
▷ childbirth /ˈtʃaɪldbɜːʳθ/ [uncountable noun]
the process of giving birth :
▪ Most women have some kind of pain relief during childbirth.
die in childbirth
die while giving birth
▪ Samuel’s mother died in childbirth, and he was brought up by his aunt.
natural childbirth
without drugs, medical operations etc
▪ Natural childbirth has become more popular over the last 20 years.
▷ labour British /labor American /ˈleɪbəʳ/ [uncountable noun]
the whole process of giving birth, from the time when the baby starts to be pushed out of its mother’s body :
▪ When Connie realized that her labor was starting, she quickly phoned both her husband and doctor.
in labour
▪ Sara was in labor for sixteen hours with our first child.
go into labour
begin the process of giving birth
▪ One of the horses had gone into labour while the farmer was away.
▷ delivery /dɪˈlɪv ə ri/ [countable noun]
the process of giving birth, especially when the birth is helped by doctors and nurses :
▪ A hospital is usually the best place for a safe delivery.
▪ Meg was recovering from a particularly complicated delivery.
6. to help with the birth of a baby
▷ deliver /dɪˈlɪvəʳ/ [transitive verb]
▪ Our family doctor delivered the baby.
▪ The birth was so quick that my husband had to deliver the baby himself.
▪ Julia’s third child had to be delivered by caesarean section.
7. having a baby developing in your body
▷ pregnant /ˈpregnənt/ [adjective]
▪ The health centre provides milk and vitamins for pregnant women.
▪ When our cat was pregnant she looked like a round, furry ball.
get pregnant
▪ We can’t stop teens from having sex, but we can help them to avoid getting pregnant.
pregnant with somebody
▪ When I was pregnant with Mandy, I felt fat and unattractive.
twenty weeks/three months etc pregnant
▪ When Janette was three months pregnant, she caught flu.
heavily pregnant
British when the baby is almost ready to be born
▪ By this time I was heavily pregnant and could hardly get into any of my clothes.
▷ be going to have a baby/be having a baby /biː ˌgəʊɪŋ tə hæv ə ˈbeɪbi, biː ˌhævɪŋ ə ˈbeɪbi/ [verb phrase]
to have a baby developing in your body - used especially when you are telling someone that you or another person is going to have a baby :
▪ Isn’t it wonderful that Susie’s going to have a baby?
▪ My boss is having a baby in March, but she’s only taking two months maternity leave.
▪ The doctor told Ellie that the tests were positive and she was going to have a baby.
▷ be expecting /biː ɪkˈspektɪŋ/ [verb phrase] spoken informal
to have a baby developing inside you :
▪ They’d only been married a couple of months and already Rebecca was expecting.
▷ expectant mother /ɪkˌspektənt ˈmʌðəʳ/ [countable noun]
a woman who is going to have a baby :
▪ Expectant mothers are entitled to free healthcare.
▪ Expectant mothers sometimes have cravings for unusual foods.
▷ mother-to-be also mum-to-be British informal /ˌmʌðəʳ tə ˈbiː, ˌmʌm tə ˈbiː/ [countable noun]
a woman who is going to have a baby :
▪ I hear you are now a mother-to-be.
▪ For first time mothers-to-be, the importance of regular check-ups cannot be stressed enough.
8. for or relating to a woman who is going to have a baby
▷ maternity /məˈtɜːʳnɪti, məˈtɜːʳnəti/ [adjective only before noun]
maternity care/ward/ leave etc
for women who are going to have a baby or have just had a baby :
▪ Maternity clothes are more stylish than they used to be.
▪ Most women who take maternity leave look forward to returning to their jobs.
▪ Which way to the maternity ward?
▷ prenatal also antenatal British /ˌpriːˈneɪtl◂, ˌæntɪˈneɪtl◂/ [adjective only before noun]
antenatal classes/clinic/care etc
classes etc that provide special care for women who are going to have a baby :
▪ Pregnant teenagers often do not want to attend antenatal classes.
▪ Towards the end of a pregnancy, doctors recommend more frequent prenatal check-ups.
9. the period in which a baby is developing inside its mother
▷ pregnancy /ˈpregnənsi/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ Many women find their skin is at its best during pregnancy.
▪ This drug should not be taken during pregnancy.
▪ She’s had a difficult pregnancy.
▷ gestation period /dʒeˈsteɪʃ ə n ˌpɪ ə riəd/ [countable noun]
the length of time a human or animal baby develops in its mother’s body :
▪ An elephant’s gestation period is almost two years.
10. when a baby is not born alive
▷ lose the baby /ˌluːz ðə ˈbeɪbi/ [verb phrase]
▪ ‘Am I going to lose the baby?’ she asked the doctor.
▪ Patricia lost the baby after six months.
▷ have a miscarriage /ˌhæv ə ˌmɪsˈkærɪdʒ/ [verb phrase]
if a woman has a miscarriage the baby comes out of her body far too early for it to be able to live :
▪ She was pregnant during her first marriage, but had a miscarriage.
▷ stillborn /ˈstɪlbɔːʳn, ˌstɪlˈbɔːʳn/ [adjective]
a baby that is stillborn is born dead but fully developed :
▪ Sadly, the baby was stillborn.
▪ Libby had still not recovered from the shock of giving birth to a stillborn child.
▷ be born dead /biː ˌbɔːʳn ˈded/ [verb phrase]
if a baby is born dead, it is not alive when it is born :
▪ The doctor told them that there was a danger their baby would be born dead or brain damaged.
▷ abortion /əˈbɔːʳʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a medical operation to deliberately end a pregnancy so that the baby is not born alive :
▪ The Catholic Church remains strongly opposed to abortion.
have an abortion
▪ One of my friends got pregnant when she was fifteen and had an abortion.
backstreet abortion
a secret illegal abortion by someone who is not trained
▪ Backstreet abortions left many women unable to have children later.
▷ terminate a pregnancy /ˌtɜːʳmɪneɪt ə ˈpregnənsi, ˌtɜːʳməneɪt ə ˈpregnənsi/ [verb phrase] formal
to perform the operation that prevents a baby from being born alive, often because the mother’s life is in danger - used especially by doctors :
▪ Doctors may terminate a pregnancy when the life of the mother is at risk.
11. methods used to prevent a woman becoming pregnant
▷ contraception /ˌkɒntrəˈsepʃ ə nǁˌkɑːn-/ [uncountable noun]
methods that are used to prevent a baby starting to develop inside a woman’s body when a man and woman have sex :
▪ Today there are more women using modern contraception than ever before.
▪ For advice on contraception, talk to your doctor or local family planning clinic.
methods of contraception
▪ There are several reliable methods of contraception.
contraceptive [adjective]
▪ Women who take a contraceptive pill and who also smoke cigarettes dramatically increase their chances of heart disease.
▷ birth control/family planning /ˈbɜːʳθ kənˌtrəʊl, ˌfæm ə li ˈplænɪŋ/ [uncountable noun]
the practice of deliberately controlling the number of babies that are born :
▪ Government attempts to encourage family planning have failed in many parts of the third world.
▪ a reliable method of birth control
12. to be able to have babies
▷ be able to have children /biː ˌeɪb ə l tə hæv ˈtʃɪldrən/ [verb phrase]
to be physically able to have a baby :
▪ After the operation will I still be able to have children?
▷ fertile /ˈfɜːtaɪlǁˈfɜːrtl/ [adjective]
able to have a baby or be the father of a baby :
▪ While most men remain fertile into old age, women do not.
fertility /fəʳˈtɪlɪti, fəʳˈtɪləti/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Certain drugs have been found to put women’s fertility at risk make them less fertile .
13. to be unable to have babies
▷ not able/unable to have children /nɒt ˌeɪb ə l, ʌnˌeɪb ə l tə hæv ˈtʃɪldrən/ [verb phrase]
▪ The doctor told the couple that they were unable to have children.
▷ infertile /ɪnˈfɜːtaɪlǁ-ˈfɜːrtl/ [adjective]
unable to have babies - used especially about women :
▪ New medical techniques provide hope for infertile couples.
infertility /ˌɪnfəʳˈtɪlɪti, ˌɪnfəʳˈtɪləti/ [uncountable noun]
▪ It took Helen a long time to come to terms with her infertility.
▷ sterile /ˈsteraɪlǁ-rəl/ [adjective]
unable to have babies or to be the father of a baby, especially when this is a permanent condition :
▪ Susan thought that her illness had made her sterile.
sterility /stəˈrɪlɪti, stəˈrɪləti/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Sterility in men seems to be on the increase.
14. the process of people or animals producing babies
▷ reproduction /ˌriːprəˈdʌkʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ These insects have two different methods of reproduction.
▪ Dr Weiss’s research has focused mostly on human reproduction.
▪ Evolution depends absolutely on the survival and reproduction of the species.
▷ reproduce /ˌriːprəˈdjuːsǁ-ˈduːs/ [intransitive verb]
to produce babies - use this especially to talk about the method by which this is done or the rate at which it happens :
▪ People have a natural instinct to both reproduce and to care for their young.
▪ Jellyfish reproduce by releasing eggs and sperm into the sea.
▷ breed /briːd/ [intransitive verb]
if animals breed, they produce babies :
▪ Rabbits breed very quickly.
breeding [uncountable noun]
▪ Birds make nests in preparation for breeding.