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American Dictionary of the English Language

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Midwife


MID'WIFE, noun [supposed by Junius and Skinner to be meedwife, a woman that has a reward. This is probably a mistake. The word is a compound of mid, with, and wif, a woman; in analogy with the Latin obstetrix, from obsto, obstiti, to stand before. Latin cum, with, and madre, mother, which is precisely analogous to midwife ]

A woman that assists other women in childbirth.

MID'WIFE, verb intransitive To perform the office of midwife

MID'WIFE, verb transitive To assist in childbirth.