DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 birthright
      n 1: a right or privilege that you are entitled to at birth;
           "free public education is the birthright of every
           American child"
      2: an inheritance coming by right of birth (especially by
         primogeniture) [syn: patrimony]
      3: personal characteristics that are inherited at birth

 Birthright
    (1.) This word denotes the special privileges and advantages
    belonging to the first-born son among the Jews. He became the
    priest of the family. Thus Reuben was the first-born of the
    patriarchs, and so the priesthood of the tribes belonged to him.
    That honour was, however, transferred by God from Reuben to Levi
    (Num. 3:12, 13; 8:18).
      (2.) The first-born son had allotted to him also a double
    portion of the paternal inheritance (Deut. 21:15-17). Reuben
    was, because of his undutiful conduct, deprived of his
    birth-right (Gen. 49:4; 1 Chr. 5:1). Esau transferred his
    birth-right to Jacob (Gen. 25:33).
      (3.) The first-born inherited the judicial authority of his
    father, whatever it might be (2 Chr. 21:3). By divine
    appointment, however, David excluded Adonijah in favour of
    Solomon.
      (4.) The Jews attached a sacred importance to the rank of
    "first-born" and "first-begotten" as applied to the Messiah
    (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:18; Heb. 1:4-6). As first-born he has an
    inheritance superior to his brethren, and is the alone true
    priest.