different between spool vs distaff

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spu?l/
• Rhymes: -u?l
• Rhymes: -??l

Etymology 1

From Middle English spole (possibly via Old Northern French spole, espole), from Middle Dutch spoele, from Old Dutch *sp?la, *spuola, from Proto-Germanic *sp?l? (“spool”), from Proto-Indo-European *spel- (“to cleave, split”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Spoule (“spool”), Dutch spoel (“spool”), German Spule (“spool”), Swedish spole (“spool”), Icelandic spóla (“spool; reel”). The aviation usage is based on the visual similarity of one of the spools of a turbine engine to a spool used for thread (especially in cross-section).

Noun

spool (plural spools)

1. A reel; a device around which thread, wire or cable is wound, especially a cylinder or spindle.
2. (aviation) One of the rotating assemblies of a gas turbine engine, composed of one or more turbine stages, a shaft, and one or more compressor or fan stages.

3. (computing) A temporary storage area for electronic mail, etc.

Derived terms

(rotating assembly of a turbine engine):

• spool down; spooldown
• spool up; spoolup
• unspool

Translations

Verb

spool (third-person singular simple present spools, present participle spooling, simple past and past participle spooled)

1. To wind on a spool or spools.
2. (computing) To send files to a device or a program (a spooler or a daemon that puts them in a queue for processing at a later time).

Derived terms

• respool
• spooler

Translations

Etymology 2

From blend of spa +? pool.

Noun

spool (plural spools)

1. A small swimming pool that can be used also as a spa.

Anagrams

• Loops, OOPLs, Sloop, loops, polos, pools, sloop

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