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Glite Dictionary
accoucheuse

accoucheuse

9.9
A woman who helps others when they give birth
  • noun
  • /ˌækuˈʃuːz/
  • Archaic
translation icon : partera
  • The noblewoman insisted that only a trusted accoucheuse attend her during childbirth.

Examples

  • The accoucheuse was summoned urgently when labor began unexpectedly late at night.

  • In the 18th century, an accoucheuse played a central role in rural communities.

  • The accoucheuse arrived just in time for the delivery.

  • Many women prefer to have an accoucheuse during childbirth.

  • The accoucheuse was summoned urgently when labor began unexpectedly late at night.

  • Many women prefer to have an accoucheuse during childbirth.

  • In the 18th century, an accoucheuse played a central role in rural communities.

Synonyms

midwife
vsaccoucheuse
  • Specialized
46 3.5

A person who helps women during childbirth

is specifically a woman rather than any trained person
nurse-midwife
vsaccoucheuse
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A trained health worker who cares for women in pregnancy and helps them give birth

is a trained birth assistant who may not be a registered nurse

Surface Forms

accoucheuse singular
accoucheuses plural

Etymology

Accoucheuse comes from the French verb accoucher, 'to give birth', which is built from a small added 'a-' plus coucher, meaning 'to lie down' and related to the English word couch. So an accoucheuse is literally someone who helps a woman when she lies down to give birth, which is why it means 'midwife'.