different between distaff vs demonstration

English

Etymology

From Middle English distaf (“distaff”), from Old English distæf (“distaff”), from *dis- (“bunch of flax”) (cognate with Middle Low German dise (“bunch of flax on a distaff”)) + stæf (“staff”) (from Proto-Germanic *stabaz (“staff, stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *steb?-). Senses 3 and 5 (“anything traditionally done by or considered of importance to women only”; “a woman, or women considered as a group”) refer to the fact that spinning was traditionally done by women.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?d?st??f/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?d?stæf/
• Hyphenation: di?staff

Noun

distaff (plural distaffs or distaves)

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.

Alternative forms

• distaffe (obsolete)

Derived terms

• Distaff Day

Translations

Adjective

distaff (not comparable)

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of women.

   Synonyms: female, maternal

   Antonyms: male, paternal, spear
2. Of the maternal side of a family.

Derived terms

• distaff side

Translations

References

Further reading

• distaff on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Middle English

Noun

distaff

1. Alternative form of distaf

English

Etymology

From Middle English demonstracioun, from Old French demonstration, from Latin demonstrationem, from demonstrare (“show or explain”), from de- (“of or concerning”) + monstrare (“show”).Morphologically demonstrate +? -ion

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?m?n?st?e???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

demonstration (countable and uncountable, plural demonstrations)

1. The act of demonstrating; showing or explaining something.
   1. (prison slang) A prisoner's act of beating up another prisoner. (clarification of this definition is needed)
2. An event at which something will be demonstrated.

   I have to give a demonstration to the class tomorrow, and I'm ill-prepared.

3. Expression of one's feelings by outward signs.
4. A public display of group opinion, such as a protest march.
5. A show of military force.
6. A mathematical proof.
   • a. 1697, John Aubrey, Brief Lives, s.v. Thomas Hobbes:

     He read the proposition. […] So he reads the demonstration of it, which referred him back to such a proposition,; which proposition he read.

Related terms

• demonstrable
• demonstrate
• demonstrator
• monster
• remonstration
• demo

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ?????????? (demonsutor?shon)

Translations

Anagrams

• nonmeditators

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?dem?nsd????o?n/

Noun

demonstration c (singular definite demonstrationen, plural indefinite demonstrationer)

1. demonstration

Declension

Further reading

• “demonstration” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “demonstration” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog