distaff

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Datamuse reports no synonyms or antonyms for this word.

Noun

1. A [[device]] to which a [[bundle#Noun|bundle]] of [[natural#Adjective|natural]] [[fibre]]s (often [[wool]], [[flax]], or [[cotton#Noun|cotton]]) is [[attach]]ed for [[temporary]] [[storage]], before being drawn off gradually to [[spin#Verb|spin]] [[thread#Noun|thread]]. A traditional distaff is a [[staff#Noun|staff]] with flax fibres tied loosely to it (as indicated by the etymology of the word), but modern distaffs are often made of [[cord#Noun|cords]] [[weight#Verb|weighted]] with [[bead#Noun|beads]], and attached to the [[wrist]].
2. The part of a [[spinning wheel]] from which fibre is [[draw#Verb|drawn]] to be [[spin#Verb|spun]].
3. Anything traditionally done by or considered of [[importance]] to [[woman|women]] only.
4. A [[race]] for [[female]] [[horse]]s only.
5. {{lb|en|also|collective}} A [[woman]], or women considered as a group.

Adjective

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of [[woman|women]].
2. Of the [[maternal]] [[side#Noun|side]] of a [[family]].

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.