Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
When a baby is ~, it comes out of its mother’s body at the beginning of its life. In formal English, if you say that someone is ~ of someone or to someone, you mean that person is their parent.
My mother was 40 when I was ~...
He was ~ of German parents and lived most of his life abroad...
Willie Smith was the second son ~ to Jean and Stephen.
V-PASSIVE: be V-ed, be V-ed of/to n, V-ed of/to n
2.
If someone is ~ with a particular disease, problem, or characteristic, they have it from the time they are ~.
He was ~ with only one lung...
Some people are ~ brainy...
I think he was ~ to be editor of a tabloid newspaper...
We are all ~ leaders; we just need the right circumstances in which to flourish.
V-PASSIVE: no cont, be V-ed with n, be V-ed adj, be V-ed to-inf, be V-ed n
3.
You can use be ~ in front of a particular name to show that a person was given this name at birth, although they may be better known by another name. (FORMAL)
She was ~ Jenny Harvey on June 11, 1946.
V-PASSIVE: no cont, be V-ed n
4.
You use ~ to describe someone who has a natural ability to do a particular activity or job. For example, if you are a ~ cook, you have a natural ability to cook well.
Jack was a ~ teacher.
ADJ: ADJ n
5.
When an idea or organization is ~, it comes into existence. If something is ~ of a particular emotion or activity, it exists as a result of that emotion or activity. (FORMAL)
Congress passed the National Security Act, and the CIA was ~...
Energy conservation as a philosophy was ~ out of the 1973 oil crisis.
V-PASSIVE: be V-ed, be V-ed out of/of n
6.
see also -~ , first ~ , new~
7.
to be ~ and bred: see breed
to be ~ with a silver spoon in your mouth: see spoon