Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MID'WIFE, n. [Supposed by Jnnius 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. The Dutch use vroedvrouw, a wise or skillful woman. The Danish equivalent word is iordemoder, earth-other; the Swedish, iord-gumma. The Spanish and Portugese word is comadre; co for L. cum, with, and madre, mother, which is precisely analogous to midwife.]

A woman that assists other women in childbirth.