OXFORD 9000
📚 noun • entry_id 23312

midwife

/ˈmɪd.waɪf/
Meanings (ES + gloss)
comadrona • matrona • partera
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.
Modernly, a hospital midwife is usually a registered nurse.
Word forms