Distaff
11distaff — [OE] The compound noun distaff ‘rod for holding flax, wool, etc in spinning’ was a late Old English formation from *dis ‘bunch of flax’ (a word which survives in bedizen [17], a derivative of the obsolete dizen, which originally meant ‘put flax… …
12distaff — 1. adjective a) of, relating to, or characteristic of women b) referring to the maternal side of a family Syn: female, maternal Ant: male, paternal …
13Distaff — Orig. a stick or staff with a V cut in one end from which flax or wool would be drawn in the spinning process. From this, the distaff became a symbol of women s work, and of women in general. Cf. Per colos; Tow …
14distaff — dis|taff [ dı,stæf ] noun count a small stick used in the past for winding wool around when SPINNING on the distaff side OLD FASHIONED on the woman s side of a family …
15distaff — dis•taff [[t]ˈdɪs tæf, tɑf[/t]] n. 1) tex a long staff for holding wool, flax, etc., from which the thread is drawn in spinning by hand 2) sex archaic a) women collectively b) women s work or concerns 3) distaff side 4) sex of or pertaining to… …
16distaff — n. 1 a a cleft stick holding wool or flax wound for spinning by hand. b the corresponding part of a spinning wheel. 2 women s work. Phrases and idioms: distaff side the female branch of a family. Etymology: OE distaeligf (as STAFF(1)), the first… …
17Distaff Day — Distaff Dis taff, n.; pl. {Distaffs}, rarely {Distaves}. [OE. distaf, dysestafe, AS. distaef; cf. LG. diesse the bunch of flax on a distaff, and E. dizen. See {Staff}.] 1. The staff for holding a bunch of flax, tow, or wool, from which the thread …
18Distaff's Day — Distaff Dis taff, n.; pl. {Distaffs}, rarely {Distaves}. [OE. distaf, dysestafe, AS. distaef; cf. LG. diesse the bunch of flax on a distaff, and E. dizen. See {Staff}.] 1. The staff for holding a bunch of flax, tow, or wool, from which the thread …
19Distaff Day — Distaff Day, also called Roc Day, is 7 January, the day after the feast of the Epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff s Day, since it was not really a holiday at all. In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work… …
20Distaff Handicap — Grade II race Distaff Handicap Location Aqueduct Racetrack Ozone Park, New York, United States Inaugurated 1954 Race type Thoroughbred Flat racin …
