midwife

American  

[mid-wahyf] / ˈmɪdˌwaɪf /

noun

plural

midwives

1. a person trained to assist women in childbirth.

2. a person or thing that produces or aids in producing something new or different.

---

verb (used with object)

midwifed, midwived, midwifing, midwiving

1. to assist in the birth of (a baby).

2. to produce or aid in producing (something new).

   to midwife a new generation of computers.

midwife British  

/ ˈmɪdˌwaɪf /

noun

1. a person qualified to deliver babies and to care for women before, during, and after childbirth

---

Etymology

Origin of midwife

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English midwif, from mid “with, accompanying” ( Old English; meta- ) + wif “woman” ( Old English wīf; wife )

Example Sentences

Now, Hope is a midwife who helps mothers overcome their fears.

From BBC

CPU director Alison Cole said the think tank also wanted the card to be "integrated" with services that see young families, so that midwives, health visitors and nursery staff could introduce them to library services.

From BBC

Seasonal purists could just download the dozen or so Christmas episodes of this long-running and still-exceptional drama about a group of midwives working out of a convent in London’s East End.

From Los Angeles Times

And when a midwife dissuaded Okgyun from having an abortion—Why not send her baby to America instead?—she thought it the best option available.

From The Wall Street Journal

"With tears in my eyes, I said it to the midwife 'I forgot to water the roses'," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• obstetrician