different between distaff vs destaff

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

de- +? staff

Verb

destaff (third-person singular simple present destaffs, present participle destaffing, simple past and past participle destaffed)

1. (transitive) To divest of staff or employees.

Anagrams

• staffed