μαῖα,ἡ,
A. good mother, form of address to old women, Hom. (only in Od. ), always in voc., usu. addressed to Eurycleia, the nurse of Odysseus, Od. 19.482 , al.; but also to Eurynome theταμίη, 17.499 : hence not only of nurses, cf. h.Cer. 147 , Ar. Ec. 915 (lyr.).
2. later,foster-mother, E. Hipp. 243 (anap.), Antiph. 159.6 ; also, a truemother, μαῖα δὴ κάτω βέβακεν
E. Alc. 393
(lyr.): metaph., of the earth, ἰὼ γαῖα μαῖα
A. Ch. 44
(lyr.), cf. S. Fr. 959 .
3. midwife, Pl. Tht. 149a , Isyll. 54 , Sor. 2.3 , al., etc.
b. lady doctor, Gal. 14.641 .
4. in Dor. ,grandmother, Iamb. VP 11.56 , IG 12(3).1120 (Melos).
II. large kind of crab, Arist. HA 525b4 , al.
III. a plant, = λεπίδιον , Orib. Fr. 102 . (Prob. from same Root asμήτηρ.)