midwife
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
‘Woman who is with (the mother)’, probably from mid (“‘with’”) + wife (“‘woman’”).
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /'mɪd.waɪf/
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
midwife (plural midwives)
- A person, usually a woman, who is trained to assist women in childbirth, but who is not a physician.
- 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.
- (rare, figuratively) Someone who assists in bringing about some result or project.
[edit] Translations
person who assists women in childbirth
person who assists in bringing something about
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[edit] Verb
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Infinitive |
to midwife (third-person singular simple present midwives or, rarely midwifes, present participle midwiving or, rarely midwifing, simple past and past participle midwived or, rarely midwifed)
- (transitive) To act as a midwife.
[edit] Usage notes
While elementary students are taught "replace 'f' with 'v'," the mistake resulting in "widwifed" is made often enough in informal/colloquial language to indicate the rule is not consistently followed.
[edit] Translations
to act as a midwife
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