What is the origin of 'sleep tight'?
Read moreOne of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
noun
mass nounarchaicThe action of giving birth to a baby.
- ‘People in Anatolia resort to a number of practices, to protect against the mother or baby-snatcher, who is believed to live in stables, haylofts, mills, deserted ruins, wells, water sources and places where women in accouchement and newborn babies are left alone.’
- ‘Ayurveda has very beautifully described the accouchement ward where the mother of the child is to be kept after delivery.’
childbirth, birth, birthing, delivery, nativityView synonyms
Origin
Late 18th century: French, from accoucher ‘act as midwife’, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + coucher ‘put to bed’ (see couch).
