General
baby catcher
What does baby catcher mean?
Affectionate hospital slang for an obstetrician. Strips the Latin off the job title and tells you exactly what they do: stand at the business end and catch. Also stretches to midwives and, in a pinch, the L&D nurse who ends up with the baby in her arms when the doc's hands are full.
"Twenty years a baby catcher and she still grins every time."
Origin
American medical slang, attested in print at least as far back as 1888 (Indiana Weekly Messenger).
Frequently asked questions
What does baby catcher mean?
It's slang for an obstetrician, or anyone whose job is catching the baby as it's delivered.
How do you use baby catcher in a sentence?
"She trained for years to become a baby catcher on the maternity ward."
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