/ bɔːn; NAmE bɔːrn/ verb , adjective
■ verb be born (used only in the passive, without by )
1.
( abbr. b. ) to come out of your mother's body at the beginning of your life :
[ vn ]
I was born in 1976.
She was born into a very musical family.
He was born of / to German parents.
She was born with a weak heart.
[ vn - adj ]
Her brother was born blind (= was blind when he was born) .
[ vn - n ]
John Wayne was born Marion Michael Morrison (= that was his name at birth) .
2.
[ vn ] ( of an idea, an organization, a feeling, etc. ) to start to exist :
the city where the protest movement was born
She acted with a courage born (out) of desperation.
3.
-born (in compounds) born in the order, way, place, etc. mentioned :
firstborn
nobly-born
French-born
—see also newborn
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IDIOMS
- be born to be / do sth
- born and bred
- born with a silver spoon in your mouth
- in all my born days
- not be born yesterday
- there's one born every minute
—more at know verb , manner , way noun
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] having a natural ability or skill for a particular activity or job :
a born athlete / writer / leader
a born loser (= a person who always loses or is unsuccessful)
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English boren , past participle of beran to bear , of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit bharati , Greek pherein , and Latin ferre .