Distaff
/ˈdɪstæf/
nounadjectiveC2
Definition
Distaff is a noun that means a wooden tool used long ago to hold wool or flax fibers while spinning thread. As an adjective or noun, it also refers to women or the female side of a family, especially in traditional or old-fashioned contexts.
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See It in Action
A tool for spinning wool or flax fibers into thread
- •The spinner held the distaff tightly while making yarn.
- •In old times, the distaff was an important tool in every household.
- •She learned to spin using a distaff and spinning wheel.
The female side of a family or things related to women (often used in phrases like 'distaff side')
- •The distaff side of the family gathered for the reunion.
- •He inherited the estate through the distaff line.
- •In the past, certain jobs were considered distaff work.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'distaff' like 'spinning wheel' (A1 word), but the distaff is the stick that holds the wool, a smaller part of the whole tool.
- ✓Picture a woman holding a long stick with fluffy wool on it, turning it to make thread for cloth.
- ✓It's the feeling of old times when spinning thread was a common job for women at home.
- ✓Sounds like 'DIS-taff' → imagine a 'staff' (a stick) that is used to 'distill' (make) thread from wool.
- ✓In stories or history, women’s work was often called the 'distaff side,' meaning the female family line or women’s tasks.
- ✓NOT like 'spinning wheel' (the whole machine), distaff is just the part holding the fibers.
- ✓NOT like 'male side' of the family, distaff means the female side or women's roles.
- ✓NOT like modern tools, distaff is old-fashioned and connected to traditional women’s work.
Try Other Words
- •Spindle: a tool for spinning thread (Use when focusing on the part that twists the thread, not the fibers)
- •Female side: the women in a family (Use when meaning the family or lineage, not the tool)
- •Women's work: tasks traditionally done by women (Use in cultural or historical context about roles)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no clear prefix or suffix) — 'distaff' is one full word
- •Etymology: From Old English 'dystef,' related to spinning; connected to Germanic roots meaning 'staff' or 'stick'
- •Historical development: Originally the name of a spinning stick used in thread making; later used figuratively for women’s roles or the female line in a family
- •Modern usage: Rarely used for the tool today; mostly appears in historical, literary, or genealogical contexts referring to women or female lineage
Reflect & Connect
•How do tools like the distaff help us understand historical roles of women in society?
•Can you think of modern words that describe gender roles today like 'distaff' did in the past?
Fill in the blanks
1.The distaff held the ___ fibers tightly while the spinner worked to make thread.
2.When talking about family trees, the distaff usually means the ___ side of the family.
3.Unlike the spinning wheel, the distaff is the part that ___ the wool or flax.
4.The phrase 'distaff side' refers to ___ members of a family.
5.Historically, the distaff was a symbol of ___ work and skills.
6.In stories, the distaff is often mentioned as a tool women used to ___ cloth.
7.The distaff is ___ used today but appears in old books and family histories.