midwife

Meanings

Noun

• A person, usually a woman, who is trained to assist women in childbirth, but who is not a physician.
• Someone who assists in bringing about some result or project.

Verb

• To act as a midwife
• to facilitate the emergence of

Related

Similar words

• accoucheuse

Origin

• From Old English midwīf, corresponding to mid + wīf. 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).