Meaning

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..

Definitions by Sense

1. 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.
2. The part of a spinning wheel from which fibre is drawn to be spun.
3. Anything traditionally done by or considered of importance to women only.
4. A race for female horses only.
5. (also collective) A woman, or women considered as a group.
6. Of, relating to, or characteristic of women.
7. Of the maternal side of a family.

Example Sentences

Then hadſt thou had an excellent head of haire. […] Excellent, it hangs like flax on a diſtaffe: & I hope to ſee a huſwife take thee between her legs, & ſpin it off.

I muſt change armes at home, and giue the diſtaffe Into my Husbands hands, […]

But O, passenger, if thou art desirous to know the cause of these fatal discomposures, of this inextricable war, truly I must deal plainly: I cannot resolve thee herein to any full satisfaction. Grievances there were, I must confess, and some incongruities in my civil government, (wherein, some say, the crozier, some say, the distaff was too busy,) but I little thought, God knows, that those grievances required a redress this way.

[C]an I ſooth Tyranny? Seem pleas'd to ſee my Royal Maſter murther'd, His crown uſurp'd, a Diſtaff in the Throne [Anne, Queen of Great Britain], A Council made up of ſuch as dare not ſpeak, And could not if they durſt; […]

"[…] Where is our little distaff member this morning?" "I had to send her home. She came to work this morning in her nightgown." Ignatius frowned and said, "I do not understand why she was sent away. After all, we are quite informal here. We are one big family. I only hope that you have not damaged her morale."

Henry knew. If he were blackballed by this distaff Mafia, he was doomed: Endless, but always justifiable, delays would occur in the work he wanted typed.

Women predominate not only, I think, because of matriarchal considerations, or claims to divine paternity, but also because Boiotian tradition leans in every way toward the distaff side.

Word Forms

• distaffs
• distaves
• distaffe

Synonyms for distaff

Antonyms for distaff

Related Words

When Should You Use Distaff?

Use distaff when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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