n.; pl.Midwives [ OE. midwif, fr. AS. mid with (akin to Gr. &unr_;) + &unr_; woman, wife. Properly, the woman or wife who is attendant upon a woman in childbirth. See Meta-, and Wife. ] A woman who assists other women in childbirth; a female practitioner of the obstetric art. [ 1913 Webster ]