noun

midwife

midwife

The midwife helped deliver the baby.

The midwife helped deliver the baby.

a/the midwife a person, usually a woman, who is trained to help women when they are giving birth The midwife helped deliver the baby.

Synonyms: accoucheuse (rare)

From Old English 'mid' (with) + 'wif' (woman), literally meaning 'with-woman', i.e., the woman who is with the mother.

Picture a wise woman in the 'mid'dle of childbirth, helping the mother ('wife' is an old word for woman).

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