midwife

noun mid·wife \ ˈmid-ˌwīf \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: midwife in a Sentence

Definition of midwife

1 : a person who assists women in childbirth — compare nurse-midwife

2 : one that helps to produce or bring forth something

See midwife defined for English-language learners

See midwife defined for kids

Examples of midwife in a Sentence

a trained and certified midwife

Recent Examples of midwife from the Web

Thank you for all the love and support and to our midwives @lindseymeehleis and @courtneykellis for helping us find the support our family needs during this impossible time.

— CBS News, "911 call reveals frantic effort to save Bode Miller's daughter Emeline," 13 June 2018
My midwife’s primary mission was to keep my baby safe during delivery, after which her mission was to keep me moving and focused.

— mariko zapf, Good Housekeeping, "I Had A Successful Vaginal Birth After A Cesarean (VBAC)—Here's What You Need To Know," 16 Nov. 2017
The Tanzanian government played midwife to the Arusha accords.

— The Economist, "Burundi’s president is now “Supreme Eternal Guide”. Retirement is out," 19 May 2018
An obstretrician/gynecologist in the hospital's network worked with midwives until recently.

— andy marso, kansascity, "Kansas midwife law means some moms-to-be must make other plans at this hospital | The Kansas City Star," 7 May 2018
Amazing photographs have been released of a midwife delivering her own child by C-section.

— melanie dadourian, Fox News, "Stunning pics of midwife mom delivering her own baby by C-section," 15 Mar. 2018
Each August, adult midwife toads in the French Pyrenees climb out of their birth lakes for the first time.

— matthew fisher, National Geographic, "Ground Zero of Amphibian 'Apocalypse' Finally Found," 10 May 2018
The clinicians will include physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurse midwives.

— guy boulton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers set to begin construction on clinic in West Milwaukee," 8 May 2018
During its years of operation from 1985 to 2007, MESAB trained more than 11,000 South Africans as medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, midwives and hospital assistants.

— bart barnes, Washington Post, "Herbert Kaiser, who helped train black medical professionals in South Africa, dies at 94," 3 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'midwife.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of midwife

Middle English midwif, from mid with (from Old English) + wif woman

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

midwife

verb

Definition of midwife

midwifed play \-ˌwīft\ or midwived play \-ˌwīvd\; midwifing play \-ˌwī-fiŋ\ or midwiving play \-ˌwī-viŋ\

transitive verb

: to assist in producing, bringing forth, or bringing about

First Known Use of midwife

1638

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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MIDWIFE Defined for English Language Learners

midwife

noun

Definition of midwife for English Language Learners

: a person (usually a woman) who helps a woman when she is giving birth to a child

MIDWIFE Defined for Kids

midwife

noun mid·wife \ ˈmid-ˌwīf \

Definition of midwife for Students

plural midwives

: a woman who helps other women during childbirth

Medical Dictionary

midwife

noun mid·wife \ ˈmid-ˌwīf \

medical Definition of midwife

: a person who assists women in childbirth — see nurse-midwife

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See words that rhyme with midwife Spanish Central: Translation of midwife Nglish: Translation of midwife for Spanish speakers

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midwife

Definition of midwife

Examples of midwife in a Sentence

Recent Examples of midwife from the Web

Origin and Etymology of midwife

midwife

Definition of midwife

First Known Use of midwife

MIDWIFE Defined for English Language Learners

midwife

Definition of midwife for English Language Learners

MIDWIFE Defined for Kids

midwife

Definition of midwife for Students

Medical Dictionary

midwife

medical Definition of midwife

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