Definition of MIDWIFE

midwife

Plural: midwives

Noun

  • a woman skilled in aiding the delivery of babies
  • A person, usually a woman, who is trained to assist women in childbirth, but who is not a physician.
  • Someone who assists in bringing about some result or project.

Verb

  • To act as a midwife.
  • To facilitate the emergence of.

Examples

  • "A hundred years ago, a midwife would bring the baby into the world - going to a hospital to deliver a baby was either impossible or unheard of."

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English midwif, corresponding to mid (“with”) + wif (“woman, wife, female”). It appears not to be entirely clear whether the original understanding was “with-woman” in the sense of “attending/assisting woman”, or “they who are with the woman” (namely the mother).

Synonyms

accoucheuse

Scrabble Score: 16

midwife is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
midwife is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
midwife is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 17

midwife is a valid Words With Friends word