DISTAFF

female, distaff

(adjective) characteristic of or peculiar to a woman; “female sensitiveness”; “female suffrage”

distaff

(noun) the staff on which wool or flax is wound before spinning

distaff

(noun) the sphere of work by women

Source: WordNet® 3.1

---

Etymology

Noun

distaff (plural distaffs or distaves)

A device to which a bundle of natural fibres (often wool, flax, or cotton) are attached for temporary storage, before being drawn off gradually to spin thread. A traditional distaff is a staff with flax fibres tied loosely to it (as indicated by the etymology of the word), but modern distaffs are often made of cords weighted with beads, and attached to the wrist.

The part of a spinning wheel from which fibre is drawn to be spun.

Anything traditionally done by or considered of importance to women only.

A race for female horses only.

A woman, or women considered as a group.

Adjective

distaff (not comparable)

Of, relating to, or characteristic of women.

Of the maternal side of a family.

Synonyms

• (characteristic of women): female, maternal

Antonyms

• (characteristic of women): male, paternal, spear

Source: Wiktionary

---

Dis"taff, n.; pl. Distaffs, rarely Distaves. Etym: [OE. distaf, dysestafe, AS. distaef; cf. LG. diesse the bunch of flax on a distaff, and E. dizen. See Staff.]

1. The staff for holding a bunch of flax, tow, or wool, from which the thread is drawn in spinning by hand. I will the distaff hold; come thou and spin. Fairfax.

2. Used as a symbol of the holder of a distaff; hence, a woman; women, collectively. His crown usurped, a distaff on the throne. Dryden. Some say the crozier, some say the distaff was too busy. Howell.

Note: The plural is regular, but Distaves occurs in Beaumont & Fletcher. Descent by distaff, descent on the mother's side.

– Distaff Day, or Distaff's Day, the morrow of the Epiphany, that is, January 7, because working at the distaff was then resumed, after the Christmas festival; -- called also Rock Day, a distaff being called a rock. Shipley.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

---

Do you know this game?

Wordscapes is a popular word game consistently in the top charts of both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The Android version has more than 10 million installs. This guide will help you get more coins in less than two minutes of playing the game. Continue reading Wordscapes: Get More Coins