| Front | distaff \DIS-taf\ |
|---|---|
| Back | noun 1. A staff for holding flax, wool, etc. for spinning. 2. Women considered collectively. 3. A woman's work or domain. adjective 4. Sometimes Offensive. Of or relating to woman. [From Old English dis- (bunch of flax) + staef (stick). A distaff is a staff with a cleft for holding wool, flax, etc. from which thread is drawn while being spun by hand. In olden times, spinning was considered a woman's work, so distaff figuratively referred to women. Distaff side (also spindle side) refers to the female side of a family. The corresponding male equivalent of the term is spear side (also sword side). ] "Volvo's gender politics are distinctly distaff, with safety and familial obligation easily trumping the sorts of values cherished by the aroused arrows of the world." - Dan Neil; Herr Doktor, Your Ride is Here; Los Angeles Times; Mar 3, 2004. |
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