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Meaning of "distaff" in the English dictionary

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DICTIONARY
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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD DISTAFF

Old English distæf, from dis- bunch of flax + stæfstaff1.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF DISTAFF

distaff  [ˈdɪstɑːf] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF DISTAFF

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Distaff is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES DISTAFF MEAN IN ENGLISH?

distaff

Distaff

As a noun, a distaff is a tool used in spinning. It is designed to hold the unspun fibers, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process. It is most commonly used to hold flax, and sometimes wool, but can be used for any type of fiber. Fiber is wrapped around the distaff, and tied in place with a piece of ribbon or string. The word comes from dis in Low German, meaning a bunch of flax, connected with staff. As an adjective the term distaff is used to describe the female side of a family.

Definition of distaff in the English dictionary

The definition of distaff in the dictionary is the rod on which flax is wound preparatory to spinning. Other definition of distaff is of or concerning women.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH DISTAFF


broomstaff
ˈbruːmˌstɑːf
cenotaph
ˈsɛnəˌtɑːf
Clontarf
klɒnˈtɑːf
cowlstaff
ˈkaʊlˌstɑːf
epitaph
ˈɛpɪˌtɑːf
flagstaff
ˈflæɡstɑːf
handstaff
ˈhændˌstɑːf
overstaff
ˌəʊvəˈstɑːf
pikestaff
ˈpaɪkˌstɑːf
ploughstaff
ˈplaʊˌstɑːf
plowstaff
ˈplaʊˌstɑːf
quarterstaff
ˈkwɔːtəˌstɑːf
restaff
ˌriːˈstɑːf
staff
stɑːf
tipstaff
ˈtɪpˌstɑːf
waitstaff
ˈweɪtˌstɑːf
whipstaff
ˈwɪpˌstɑːf

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE DISTAFF

distaff side
distain
distal
distally
distance
distance learning
distance modulus
distance race
distance runner
distance teaching
distant
distant early warning
distant early warning line
distantly
distaste
distasteful
distastefully
distastefulness
distelfink

WORDS THAT END LIKE DISTAFF

Chief of Staff
counter staff
domestic staff
general staff
ground staff
half-staff
headquarters staff
hotel staff
Jacob´s staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
level staff
levelling staff
managerial staff
member of staff
nonteaching staff
pastoral staff
skeleton staff
teaching staff
telesales staff

Synonyms and antonyms of distaff in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «distaff» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF DISTAFF

Find out the translation of distaff to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of distaff from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «distaff» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

母系
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

rueca
570 millions of speakers

English

distaff
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

औरतों का काम
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

فلكة المغزل
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

прялка
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

roca
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

Attyn
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

quenouille
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Attyn
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Spinnrocken
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

女の
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

실톳
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Attyn
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

con quay kéo sợi
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

Attyn
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

अटटन
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Attyn
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

conocchia
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

kądziel
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

прядка
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

furca
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

ρόκα
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

spoel vas
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

distaff
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

distaff
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of distaff

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «DISTAFF»

The term «distaff» is normally little used and occupies the 119.986 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Little used
44
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «distaff» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of distaff
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «distaff».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «DISTAFF» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «distaff» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «distaff» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about distaff

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «DISTAFF»

Discover the use of distaff in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to distaff and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Distaff Gospels
This edition includes a facing-page translation (the first in English since 1510) of the two Old French manuscripts of the text.
Madeleine Jeay, Kathleen Garay, 2006
2
French Women Poets of Nine Centuries: The Distaff and the Pen
Divided into three chronological sections spanning the Middle Ages through the sixteenth century, the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the volume includes introductory essays by noted ...
‎2008
3
The Distaff Side: A Novel
But what they don't know can hurt them amidst an elaborate web of fabricated identity and stolen jewels. Combining Jane Austen's wit with Sherlock Holmes's story line, The Distaff Side brings historical intrigue to new heists.
Elizabeth Palmer, 2014
4
The Distaff Civil War
THE DISTAFF CIVIL WAR THE DISTAFF CIVIL WAR THE DISTAFF. January 1 ( Thursday) With the new year, the South began to lose hope that their fortunes would improve. After the battle of Sharpsburg, where they had lost so many men and ...
Robert E. Denney, 2002
5
Distaff Diplomacy, Or, My Elegant Life as a Diplomat's Wife
The book covers postings to New York city, Vienna, Austria, Helsinki, Finland, TelAviv, Israel, and Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Rae Hardy, 2001
6
The Sword and the Distaff; Or, Fair, Fat and Forty (Dodo Press)
William Gilmore Simms (1806-1870) was a poet, novelist and historian from the American South whose novels achieved great prominence during the 19th century, with Edgar Allan Poe pronouncing him the best novelist America had ever produced.
William Gilmore Simms, 2009
7
Distaff: A Novel
Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.
Maria Rodziewicz Wna, Maria Rodziewiczówna, 2012
8
the greek bucolic poets
XXVIII THE DISTAFF Theocritus, visiting his friend Nicias (see p. 44) in Miletus, brings with him an ivory distaff made in his native Syracuse as a present for Nicias' s wife Theugenis. Distaff, friend of them that spin, grey-eyed Athena's gift to ...
Theocritus, John Maxwell Edmonds
9
Distaff and Spindle
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process.
Mary Ashley Townsend, 2009
10
The Hard Facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales
SPINNINGTALES. The. Distaff. Side. Storytelling is always the art of repeating stories, and this art is lost when the stories are no longer retained. It is lost because there is no more weaving and spinning to go on while they are being told.
Maria Tatar, 2003

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «DISTAFF»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term distaff is used in the context of the following news items.
1
VOBIS Gold Premier Series boosted
The VOBIS Gold Heath (2000m) and VOBIS Gold Distaff (1400m, fillies and mares) have been added to the April 16 Victorian Owners and ... «Racing.com, Jul 15»
2
Top Cal-Breds Square Off in Great Lady M.
... Lady M.'s 6 1/2-furlong distance, his mare's first race at less than seven furlongs since the Oct. 11 California Distaff Handicap at Santa Anita, ... «BloodHorse.com, Jul 15»
3
Two $100000 races Saturday at Canterbury Park
... by Joe Novogratz of Excelsior, is undefeated on this turf course and most recently won the $75,000 Minnesota HBPA Distaff on June 6. «SW News Media, Jul 15»
4
'Seven Deadly Sins' At Seven Museums In CT, NY
It's often considered the most feminine of sins, the distaff version of wrath." Broom's world is more startling than in the Disneyfied versions of ... «CTNow, Jul 15»
5
UPI Horse Racing Roundup
... year, including the Grade I Just a Game at Belmont Park, and finished second in the Grade II Churchill Distaff Turf Mile earlier this season. «UPI.com, Jul 15»
6
The U.S. Treasury's Unjust Debasement of Alexander Hamilton
He further claimed that we must “never wish to see our citizens occupied at a work-bench, or twirling a distaff.” Instead, he said, “for the general ... «The Objective Standard, Jul 15»
7
Rory McIlroy's ankle injury brings out the stupid in and beyond the …
... of his then-fiancee, Caroline Wozniacki, in a 10-minute phone call. Speaking of the distaff half of Wozzilroy, here's Mensa Candidate No. 2: ... «SB Nation, Jul 15»
8
Acquaviva: What do women want? Don't ask Cal
... came about partially because so many women's rights groups have been demanding for years that the FDA do something for the distaff side. «Roanoke Times, Jul 15»
9
Little Steven mare sets track record
SHOW RUNNER AND DRIVER TIM MAIER SET A NEW DISTAFF TRACK RECORD AT RUNNING ACES, WINNING THE $8000 OPEN PACE ... «Harnesslink, Jul 15»
10
American Madison Keys being groomed for greatness: DiManno
Admittedly, it's been musical chairs on the distaff staff internationally, with Serena in her own orbit, then Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova a ... «Toronto Star, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Distaff [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/distaff>. Apr 2024 ».
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