Birth vs Descent - What's the difference?
birth | descent |
(uncountable) The process of childbearing; the beginning of life.
(countable) An instance of childbirth.
(countable) A beginning or start; a point of origin.
(uncountable) The circumstances of one's background, ancestry, or upbringing.
* Prescott
That which is born.
* Ben Jonson
* Addison
A familial relationship established by childbirth.
(dated, or, regional) To bear or give birth to (a child).
* 1939 ,
(figuratively) To produce, give rise to.
* 2006 , R. Bruce Hull, Infinite Nature , University of Chicago Press, ISBN 9780226359441,
An instance of descending
* 2012 , July 15. Richard Williams in Guardian Unlimited,
A way down.
A sloping passage or incline.
Lineage or hereditary derivation
A drop to a lower status or condition.
As nouns the difference between birth and descent
is that birth is the process of childbearing; the beginning of life while descent is an instance of descending.As an adjective birth
is a familial relationship established by childbirth.As a verb birth
is to bear or give birth to (a child).birth
English
Noun
- Intersex babies account for roughly one per cent of all births .
- the birth of an empire
- He was of noble birth , but fortune had not favored him.
- elected without reference to birth , but solely for qualifications
- Poets are far rarer births than kings.
- Others hatch their eggs and tend the birth till it is able to shift for itself.
Antonyms
* (beginning of life) deathReferences
Adjective
(-)- Her birth father left when she was a baby; she was raised by her mother and stepfather.
Synonyms
* biological, blood, consanguineousVerb
(en verb)- "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies!"
page 156:
- Biological evolution created a human mind that enabled cultural evolution, which now outpaces and outclasses the force that birthed it.
Usage notes
* The term is much more common, especially in literal use.Derived terms
* accident of birth * birth control * birthdate * birthday * birthing * birth mother * birth pangs * birth parent * birth pill * birthplace * birthrate * birthright * birthstone * birth tourism * breech birth * give birth * noble birth * virgin birth 1000 English basic words ----descent
English
Noun
(en noun)- We climbed the mountain with difficulty, but the descent was easier.
Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track
- The next one surrendered his bike, only for that, too, to give him a second flat as he started the descent .
- We had difficulty in finding the correct descent .
- The descent into the cavern was wet and slippery.
- Our guide was of Welsh descent .
- After that, the holiday went into a steep descent .