midwife
A person, usually a woman, who is trained to assist women in childbirth, but who is not a physician.
Example
“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.”
Other meanings
Someone who assists in bringing about some result or project.
Related words
- man-midwife
- midwife frog
- midwife toad
- midwifery
Word history
From Middle English "midwif".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “midwife” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.