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to carry

to carry

290 4.4
Be pregnant with a child or young animal
  • verb
  • /ˈkæri/
translation icon : estar embarazada de
  • But if I if it's my egg, I carried it to term.
  • female carrying eggs
  • carries its young
  • carries eggs

The mother carrying the infant in the womb.

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Examples

  • After several tests, the doctor confirmed that she is carrying twins.

  • Our clairvoyant at World's People says Chelsea's carrying your child.

  • So she was carrying our first child when I was over there.

  • And you were a virgin when you found out you were carrying child?

  • "You sent her away, knowing she was carrying my child?" he asked hoarsely.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Do I abort this pregnancy or do I carry this child to turn bring it into this world?

  • Pregnant women should carry a copy of their prenatal medical records, next-of-kin details, and insurance policies.

    Academic text (2011)
  • She was so happy to be carrying her second child this year.

  • At 38 weeks pregnant, she was carrying her baby with great anticipation.

Synonyms

to expect
vsto carry
816 3.0

To carry a baby before birth

refers only to the pregnant state, not the waiting aspect
to gestate
vsto carry
  • Specialized
4 7.6

To carry a baby in the womb until birth

is the everyday neutral way to mean being pregnant
to have a bun in the oven
vsto carry
  • Informal
1 8.4

To be pregnant and expecting a baby

is neutral and lacks playful or informal tone

Idioms

To sing in tune without going off-key

to carry a torch
  • Informal
4 7.7

Have strong feelings of love for someone who does not love you back

To do as much work as the others in a group

To behave in a calm, proud way when facing difficulty

1 9.9

To support someone and do things for them without asking questions

1 7.4

To take on responsibility as the next leader

1 7.9

To accept blame or responsibility that others refuse

To sing a note correctly and stay in tune

To be unable to sing in tune

To sing very badly and out of tune

To do something not needed because there is already plenty of it

To do important work well when other people depend on you

Phrasal Verbs

348 1.8

To do a task or follow instructions

253 2.7

To continue doing something after an interruption or when it is difficult

88 3.5

To move people or things away, sometimes because of strong feeling

to carry on
  • Informal
53 4.2

To behave in a silly or noisy way that annoys people

Continue doing something after a pause or interruption

14 3.5

To move something from one time or situation to a later one

to carry to term
  • Specialized
13 4.4

To continue a pregnancy until the baby is fully developed and ready to be born

to carry forward
  • Specialized
4 3.7

To move something unused from one period to the next so it can still be used

4 8.2

To kill many people or animals

To help someone get out of a dangerous or very difficult situation

4 4.4

To take a person to another place or to move someone's feelings suddenly

To have influence with people or in a situation

Finish something successfully when it is difficult

2 5.3

To do something difficult successfully and with skill

2 4.6

Lead a project or task and make sure it is finished

to carry over
  • Specialized
1 4.6

To keep unsold goods from one season to sell in the next

1 5.7

To do small, simple tasks or errands for someone in charge

1 8.5

Support or defend someone in a group, often without getting anything

A voice or sound that can be heard clearly at a distance

to carry back
  • Specialized
8.8

Subtract a loss or unused tax credit from the previous year's taxable income to reduce tax for that year

7.8

Have problems from the past that still affect your feelings or actions

Compounds

35 2.3

A small bag a passenger can take onto an airplane

carry-over
  • Specialized
1 5.1

Using skill or knowledge from one situation in another similar situation

Selling goods that customers must pay for in cash and carry away themselves

fireman's carry
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A way of carrying a person over your shoulders to move them quickly

carry-forward
  • Specialized
1 7.3

An amount of profit or loss that a company moves from a past financial period to the next period

carry-over
  • Specialized
7.0

Profit left in a company after paying dividends and putting money aside

6.6

A simple, boring job doing small errands and chores

fetch-and-carry task
  • Specialized
7.2

A robot action to pick up an object and carry it to a place

How Advanced

to labor
  • US
3 4.9
to carry to term
  • Specialized
13 4.4
expectant
12 3.8
to carry
290 4.4
pregnant
1.0

Surface Forms

carry infinitive
carried past
carried past participle
carrying present participle
carries third person singular

Etymology

Carry has always meant holding a load, and that literal sense became the way we talk about pregnancy: a woman 'carries' a baby as she holds it inside her. So, to be 'carrying' a child is to be bearing it until birth.