A cut-wife is an informal term used to describe a woman who performs abortions for a living. It is an old form phrase not in use today. On the Showtime television series Penny Dreadful, a 200-year-old witch named Joan Clayton worked in this capacity. In fact, her work had earned her the nickname, the "Cut-wife of Ballentree Moor". (Penny Dreadful: The Nightcomers)