Wiktionary

midwife

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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midwife (plural midwives)

  1. 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.
  2. (rare, figuratively) Someone who assists in bringing about some result or project.

Usage notes

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  • The term is applicable to both males and females. Despite this, the term midhusband is also sometimes used (usually in nonserious contexts).

Synonyms

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Coordinate terms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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midwife (third-person singular simple present midwifes, present participle midwifing, simple past and past participle midwifed)

  1. (transitive) To act as a midwife.
  2. (transitive, figuratively) To facilitate the emergence of.
    • 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

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  • The earliest forms of the verb used v in place of f (see to midwive); however, forms with f (to midwife) are now just as common if not more commonly seen.

Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jespersen, Otto (1909) A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles (Sammlung germanischer Elementar- und Handbücher; 9)‎[1], volumes I: Sounds and Spellings, London: George Allen & Unwin, published 1961, § 7.32, page 214.
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