[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 L. obstetrix, from obsto, obstiti, to stand before. L. cum, with, and madre, mother, which is precisely analogous to midwife.]

A woman that assists other women in childbirth.