midwife
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Old English midwīf, corresponding to mid (“with”) + wīf (“woman”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
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, figurative) Someone who assists in bringing about some result or project.
Usage notes[edit]
- The term is applicable to both males and females. Etymologically, the "wife" (OE wif) is the woman [the one giving birth] whom the midwife is working "with" (mid) to facilitate the birth.
- Despite this, the term midhusband is also sometimes used (usually in humour).
Synonyms[edit]
Coordinate terms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
person who assists women in childbirth
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person who assists in bringing something about
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Verb[edit]
midwife (third-person singular simple present midwives or midwifes, present participle midwiving or midwifing, simple past and past participle midwived or midwifed)
- (transitive) To act as a midwife
- (transitive, figurative) to facilitate the emergence of
- But the bigger objective was to help Iraqis midwife a democratic model that could inspire reform across the Arab-Muslim world and give the youth there a chance at a better future.
- Thomas L. Friedman. "Attention: Baby on Board." New York Times. April 13, 2010.
- But the bigger objective was to help Iraqis midwife a democratic model that could inspire reform across the Arab-Muslim world and give the youth there a chance at a better future.
Usage notes[edit]
While elementary students are taught "replace 'f' with 'v'," the mistake resulting in "midwifed" is made often enough in informal/colloquial language to indicate the rule is not consistently followed.
Translations[edit]
to act as a midwife
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
See also[edit]
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English nouns with irregular plurals
- English terms with rare senses
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- en:Healthcare occupations
- en:Obstetrics
- en:People