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Glite Dictionary
✝️ Jesus's birth miracle 🦎 Asexual reproduction
Virgin Birth

Virgin Birth

7.5
A type of reproduction where an animal grows from an egg that has not been fertilized
  • noun
  • /ˈvɜrdʒɪn bɜrθ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : partenogénesis
  • In biology class, we learned about the Virgin Birth, where a female can reproduce without fertilization.

Examples

  • The phenomenon known as Virgin Birth is observed in some plants, allowing them to create seeds from unfertilized eggs.

  • The Virgin Birth is a fascinating example of parthenogenesis in certain species of reptiles.

  • He is God. 4. The Virgin Birth of Jesus. 5. Jesus died for us.

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Surface Forms

Virgin Birth singular

Morphology

virgin + birth

The meaning 'a birth involving a virgin' or 'a birth without sexual intercourse' is directly and compositionally derivable from combining 'virgin' (someone who has not had sex) with 'birth' (coming-into-existence). This straightforward noun + noun composition is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the intended sense (even if they may not know the technical term 'parthenogenesis' or the specific religious connotations).

Etymology

In biology, Virgin Birth describes when an egg grows into a young animal without a male. The picture of a virgin mother giving birth helps show it means 'an offspring from an unfertilized egg'.