Noun. Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! distaff: A staff that holds on its cleft end the unspun flax, wool, or tow from which thread is drawn in spinning by hand. Accessed 15 May. Send us feedback. We have a Chrome Extension and an Android App Definition of distaff written for English Language Learners from the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary with audio pronunciations, usage examples, and count/noncount noun labels. You can get meaning of any English word very easily. it takes one to know one. This symbolic use of the noun distaff dates back to the time of Chaucer and is found in several works by Shakespeare. Distaff is a noun and adjective that refers to the mother’s line of descent within a family. characteristic of or peculiar to a woman Synonyms: female Examples - female sensitiveness - female suffrage; noun. Old English distæf "long, cleft stick that holds flax for spinning," from dis- "bunch of flax" (cognates: Middle Low German dise, Low German diesse "a bunch of flax on a distaff;" compare bedizen) + stæf "stick, staff" (see staff (n.) It has auto-suggestion feature which will save you a lot of time getting any meaning. I couldn’t agree more. 5.0%. adj. You can get meaning of any English word very easily. ‘Then she brought forth a sack of carded wool, and three distaffs, and brought this all over to where we sat.’ circa 1633, in the meaning defined at sense 2, before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a, Middle English distaf, from Old English distæf, from dis- (akin to Middle Low German dise bunch of flax) + stæf staff, Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP. View the pronunciation for distaff. Word Origin Old English distæf: the first element is apparently related to Middle Low German dise, disene ‘distaff, bunch of flax’; the second is staff. A beautiful young girl was seated near them, with her distaff, spinning gold thread. Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative? 1. the rod on which flax is wound preparatory to spinning. Distaff Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries. (ˈdɪstɑːf ) noun. Behind the bride were carried the distaff and spindle, emblems of domestic life. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. distaff meaning: 1. involving women; female: 2. female members of a family; especially used to talk about people…. As Maggie in a 1990 production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof she was more than just a slip of distaff Mississippi flesh. Since spinning was a basic daily task customarily done by women, the distaff came to be the symbol for the work or domain of women. distaff chores, a distaff point of view; the distaff side of the family. b. An attachment for a spinning wheel that serves this purpose. Choose the best definition or synonym for the word in bold: "There are some. We have a Chrome Extension and an Android App 1. Indeed, the distaff vote may yet again break Republican this cycle—as it did in 2010—if the polls are to be believed. Learn more. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. We have a Chrome Extension and an Android App Definitions and Meaning of distaff in English distaff adjective. English to Greek Dictionary (Free). “Distaff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distaff. distaff . Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox! (n.) The staff for holding a bunch of flax, tow, or wool, from which the thread is drawn in spinning by hand. Since spinning was traditionally done by females, distaff took on figurative meanings relating to women or women’s work. (n.) The staff for holding a bunch of flax, tow, or wool, from which the thread is drawn in spinning by hand. A traditional distaff is a staff with flax fibres … 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? Collins English … What made you want to look up distaff? What Is An Em Dash And How Do You Use It? 2. Thesaurus Trending Words. We have a Chrome Extension and an Android App You can get meaning of any English word very easily. dis'-taf (pelekh): This word occurs once in Proverbs 31:19; "spindle" is found in the same passage. It has auto-suggestion feature which will save you a lot of time getting any meaning. offensive to distaff members of the audience. Are you building something up or tearing it down? b. English to Xhosa Dictionary (Free). distaff synonyms, distaff pronunciation, distaff translation, English dictionary definition of distaff. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012. a staff with a cleft end for holding wool, flax, etc., from which the thread is drawn in spinning by hand. 1 A stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound for spinning. Enrich your vocabulary with the English Definition dictionary We have a Chrome Extension and an Android App Women considered as a group. In the Revised Version (British and American) the meanings of the two words have been exchanged. distaff. DISTAFF. A distaff is the stick onto which wool or flax is wound in spinning. NEW. distaff definition: 1. involving women; female: 2. female members of a family; especially used to talk about people…. The oldest type of distaff was held under one arm as the spinner slowly unwound fibers from it and onto a spindle in the opposite hand. Change your default dictionary to American English. , spear side - The female side of a family is the distaff side—the distaff being a stick used for holding yarn when spinning; the male side is the spear side. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distaff.' distaff in British English. Type: adjective, noun; Copy to clipboard; Details / edit; Open Multilingual Wordnet. See the full definition for distaff in the English Language Learners Dictionary, Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for distaff, Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about distaff. 2021. distaff - definition and meaning Community The act or practice of an underwriting or brokerage firm giving shares of an IPO, especially a popular issue, to major executives in some company unrelated to the company issuing the IPO.These executives return the favor by recommending that their clients do business to the underwriter or broker. You can get meaning of any English word very easily. ženski { adjective } referring to the maternal side of a family. Delivered to your inbox! In the morning she took her wheel and spun a whole distaff full; there was still no news. 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. Learn more. 3. A staff that holds on its cleft end the unspun flax, wool, or tow from which thread is drawn in spinning by hand. 7.7%. Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? put off. A distaff is a tool used to spin fibers into flax or wool. ‘Then she brought forth a sack of carded wool, and three distaffs, and brought this all over to where we sat.’. It has auto-suggestion feature which will save you a lot of time getting any meaning. Find 12 ways to say DISTAFF, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Work and concerns traditionally considered important to women. English English Dictionaries. We have a Chrome Extension and an Android App Farlex Trivia Dictionary. In the sense of … n. 1. a. distaff definition in English dictionary, distaff meaning, synonyms, see also 'distaff side',distaff side',distal',disaffect'. The ancients were all familiar with the idea of women sometimes exchanging the spindle and distaff for the spear and shield. But that is the most recent use of the word. (n.) Used as a symbol of the holder of a distaff; hence, a woman; women, collectively. translation and definition "distaff", English-Slovenian Dictionary online. taff (dĭs′tăf′) n. 1. a. You can get meaning of any English word very easily. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (n.) Used as a symbol of the holder of a distaff; hence, a woman; women, collectively. It has auto-suggestion feature which will save you a lot of time getting any meaning. Learn a new word every day. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'? It has auto-suggestion feature which will save you a lot of time getting any meaning. The earliest use of distaff in English refers to a spinning implement. A distaff was originally a short staff that held a bundle of fibers - of flax or wool, for example - ready to be spun into yarn or thread. a similar attachment on a spinning wheel. (modifier) of or concerning women. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! the staff on which wool or flax is wound before spinning; the sphere of work by women; Description English to Khmer Dictionary (Free). The invention of the loom and distaff has been piously ascribed to the gods. 2. English to Pashto Dictionary (Free). It has auto-suggestion feature which will save you a lot of time getting any meaning. Since spinning was a basic daily task customarily done by … DISTAFF. Spinning wool is an old-fashioned craft, so it's not common to see a distaff in use these days. Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia n distaff In the earliest method of spinning, the staff, usually a cleft stick about 3 feet long, on which was wound a quantity of wool, cotton, or flax to be spun. Eventually distaff came to be used for the female branch of a family and then as an adjective, as in the distaff side of the family. Dictionary.com Unabridged Learn more. The distaff in spinning is a long stick, sometimes forked, around which flax is wound and held in preparation for spinning it. Define distaff. Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Distaff definition: the rod on which flax is wound preparatory to spinning | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples English to Punjabi Dictionary (Free). dissymmetry, dist., distad, distaff, distaffer, distaff side, distain, distal, distal myopathy, distance, distance learning Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random … A staff that holds on its cleft end the unspun flax, wool, or tow from which thread is drawn in spinning by hand. 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. This is the British English definition of distaff.View American English definition of distaff. Were all familiar with the English definition of distaff.View American English definition of distaff dictionary meaning in English to. How well you can get meaning of any English word very easily getting any.... 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