birthday
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English birthdai, birtheday, from Old English ġebyrddæġ (“birthday”), equivalent to birth + day. Compare Saterland Frisian Gebuursdai (“birthday”), Dutch geboortedag (“birthday”), Low German Geboortsdag (“birthday”), German Geburtstag (“birthday”), Norwegian bursdag, gebursdag (“birthday”).
Eclipsed non-native Middle English nativitee (“birth, nativity, birthday”), from Old French nativité, nativited, from Latin nātīvitas.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (UK): IPA(key): /ˈbɜːθ.deɪ/
- (Received Pronunciation): IPA(key): /ˈbɜːθ.dɪ/
Audio (UK) (file) - (US): enPR: bûrthʹdā', IPA(key): /ˈbɝθˌdeɪ/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)θdeɪ, -ɜːθdɪ
Noun[edit]
birthday (plural birthdays)
- The anniversary of the day on which someone is born. [From 1570s]
- When's your birthday? Mine's on April 1.
- 1867, Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, Chapter 2: Treats Of Oliver Twist's Growth, Education, And Board,
- Oliver Twist's ninth birthday found him a pale thin child, somewhat diminutive in stature, and decidedly small in circumference.
- 1903, L. Frank Baum, The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People, The Fifth Surprise: The Monarch Celebrates His Birthday,
- One of the Wise Men said the King was born in February; another declared it was in May, and a third figured the great event happened in October. So the King issued a royal decree that he should have three birthdays every year, in order to be on the safe side; and whenever he happened to think of it he put in an odd birthday or two for luck.
- 1906, Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children, Chapter 9: The pride of Perks,
- "And we thought we'd make a nice birthday for him. He's been so awfully jolly decent to us, you know, Mother," said Peter, "and we agreed that next bun-day we'd ask you if we could."
- c. 1911, Cotton Mather, Worthington Chauncey Ford (editor), Diary of Cotton Mather, Volume 1: 1681-1708, footnote, page 1,
- It was his custom to begin a new year's record on February 12, his birthday.
- 1921 June 4, Birthday Honours — Companions of Honour, in The Times,
- The King's Birthday, which occurred yesterday, will be officially observed to-day, and the customary list of honours conferred on the occasion is published.
- The anniversary of the day on which something is created.
- The date on which someone is born or something is created, more commonly called birthdate or date of birth.
- A birthday party.
- I'd like to invite you all to my birthday.
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
anniversary
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date of birth — See also translations at date of birth
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Verb[edit]
birthday (third-person singular simple present birthdays, present participle birthdaying, simple past and past participle birthdayed)
- (intransitive, informal) To celebrate one's birthday.
See also[edit]
Anagrams[edit]
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English compound words
- English 2-syllable words
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- Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)θdeɪ
- Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)θdeɪ/2 syllables
- Rhymes:English/ɜːθdɪ
- Rhymes:English/ɜːθdɪ/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
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- en:Calendar terms