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distaff
distaff a stick or spindle on to which wool or flax is wound for spinning; in extended usage, used as modifier, as in distaff side ’the female side of a family’ to mean of or concerning women. The word is recorded from Old English (in form distæf); the first element is apparently related to Middle Low German dise, disene ‘distaff, bunch of flax’, the second is staff. The extended sense arose because spinning was traditionally done by women.
St Distaff's day the day after Twelfth Day or the Feast of the Epiphany, on which day (7 January) women resumed their spinning and other ordinary employments after the holidays. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "distaff." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "distaff." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-distaff.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "distaff." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-distaff.html |
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distaff
dis·taff / ˈdistaf/ • n. a stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound for spinning. ∎ [as adj.] of or concerning women. |
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"distaff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "distaff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-distaff.html "distaff." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-distaff.html |
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distaff
distaff stick to hold material to be spun. OE. distæf, a peculiarly Eng. word; f. the base of MLG. dise(ne) distaff, bunch of flax (LG. diesse); the second el. is STAFF.
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T. F. HOAD. "distaff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "distaff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-distaff.html T. F. HOAD. "distaff." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-distaff.html |
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distaff
distaff see spinning . |
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"distaff." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "distaff." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-distaff.html "distaff." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-distaff.html |
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distaff
distaff
•barf, behalf, calf, chaff, coif, giraffe, Graf, graph, half, laugh, scarf, scrum half, staff, strafe, wing half
•headscarf • mooncalf • bar graph
•telegraph • polygraph • epigraph
•serigraph • cardiograph • radiograph
•spectrograph • micrograph
•lithograph • heliograph
•choreograph • tachograph
•stylograph • holograph • seismograph
•chronograph, monograph
•phonograph • paragraph
•cinematograph • pictograph
•autograph • photograph • flagstaff
•jackstaff • distaff • tipstaff • epitaph
•pikestaff • cenotaph
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Cite this article
"distaff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "distaff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-distaff.html "distaff." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-distaff.html |
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