ALL meanings of distaff
dis·taff
D d - noun distaff A stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound for spinning. 1
- noun distaff spinning tool 1
- noun distaff women's traditional work 1
- adjective distaff characteristic of women 1
- adjective distaff family: relating to the maternal side 1
- noun distaff a staff with a cleft end for holding wool, flax, etc., from which the thread is drawn in spinning by hand. 1
- noun distaff a similar attachment on a spinning wheel. 1
- noun distaff Archaic. a woman or women collectively. women's work. 1
- adjective distaff Sometimes Offensive. noting, pertaining to, characteristic of, or suitable for a female. See also distaff side. 1
- noun distaff A distaff is the stick onto which wool or flax is wound in spinning. Since spinning was traditionally done by females, distaff took on figurative meanings relating to women or women’s work. In the sense of “female,” the noun distaff is archaic, but the adjective is in current use: distaff chores, a distaff point of view; the distaff side of the family. Women who find the term offensive are probably aware of its origin in female stereotypes. Another current use of the adjective is in reference to horses: a distaff race is for fillies or mares. 1
- noun distaff the rod on which flax is wound preparatory to spinning 0
- noun distaff of or concerning women 0
- noun distaff a staff on which fibers, as flax or wool, are wound before being spun into thread 0
- noun distaff 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 (see Etymology), but modern distaffs are often made of cords weighted with beads, and attached to the wrist. 0
- noun distaff woman's work or concerns 0
- noun distaff the part of a spinning wheel from which fibre is drawn to be spun. 0
- noun distaff woman, or women in general 0
- noun distaff anything traditionally done by or considered of importance to women only. 0
- adjective distaff female; specif., designating the maternal side of a family 0
- noun distaff a woman, or women considered as a group. 0
- adjective distaff of, relating to, or characteristic of women. 0
- adjective distaff referring to the maternal side of a family. 0