English-Thai Dictionary

distaff

N กลุ่ม ของ หญิง 

 

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DISTAFF

n. 1. The staff of a spinning-wheel, to which a bunch of flax or tow is tied, and from which the thread is drawn.
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. Proverbs 31:19.
2. Figuratively, a woman, or the female sex.
His crown usurped, a distaff on the throne.

 

DISTAFF-THISTLE

n.A species of thistle; a name of the Atraetylis, and of the Carthamus, or false saffron.

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

DISTAFF

Dis "taff, n.; pl. Distaffs, rarely Distaves. Etym: [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 is drawn in spinning by hand. I will the distaff hold; come thou and spin. Fairfax.

 

2. Used as a symbol of the holder of a distaff; hence, a woman; women, collectively. His crown usurped, a distaff on the throne. Dryden. Some say the crozier, some say the distaff was too busy. Howell.

 

Note: The plural is regular, but Distaves occurs in Beaumont & Fletcher. Descent by distaff, descent on the mother's side. -- Distaff Day, or Distaff's Day, the morrow of the Epiphany, that is, January 7, because working at the distaff was then resumed, after the Christmas festival; -- called also Rock Day, a distaff being called a rock. Shipley.

 

New American Oxford Dictionary

distaff

dis taff |ˈdistaf ˈdɪˌstæf | ▶noun a stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound for spinning. • [ as modifier ] of or concerning women. ORIGIN Old English distæf: the first element is apparently related to Middle Low German dise, disene ‘distaff, bunch of flax ’; the second is staff 1. The extended sense arose because spinning was traditionally done by women.

 

distaff side

dis taff side ▶noun the female side of a family: the family title could be passed down through the distaff side. The opposite of spear side. • the female members of a group: this fascination was not limited to the distaff side of society. ORIGIN late 19th cent.: because spinning (see distaff ) was traditionally done by women while men did the weaving.

 

Oxford Dictionary

distaff

distaff |ˈdɪstɑːf | ▶noun 1 a stick or spindle on to which wool or flax is wound for spinning. 2 [ as modifier ] of or concerning women: marriage is still the passport to distaff power. PHRASES the distaff side the female side of a family: the family title could be passed down through the distaff side. The opposite of the spear side. ORIGIN Old English distæf: the first element is apparently related to Middle Low German dise, disene ‘distaff, bunch of flax ’; the second is staff 1. Sense 2 arose because spinning was traditionally done by women.

 

distaff side

dis taff side ▶noun the female side of a family: the family title could be passed down through the distaff side. The opposite of spear side. • the female members of a group: this fascination was not limited to the distaff side of society. ORIGIN late 19th cent.: because spinning (see distaff ) was traditionally done by women while men did the weaving.

 

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

distaff

dis taff /dɪ́stæf |-tɑːf /名詞 複 ～s C (昔, 女性が糸繰りに用いた )糸巻き [糸取り ]棒 .形容詞 ｟時にけなして ｠女性 (特有 )の ; 母方の .～́ j ò ckey 女性騎手 .～́ s ì de 〖the ～〗母方, 母系 (↔spear side ).