A distaff (/ˈdɪstɑːf/, /ˈdɪstæf/, also called a rock) is a tool used in spinning. It is designed to hold the unspun fibers, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process. It is most commonly used to hold flax, and sometimes wool, but can be used for any type of fibre.
What is the difference between a spindle and a distaff?
The basic tools used to spin the fibers were the spindle and the distaff. A distaff is designed to hold the unspun fibers, meanwhile a spindle is a straight spike, usually made from wood, onto which the fiber is being spun. The most commonly used fibers in Europe were wool and flax.
How does a distaff work?
distaff, Device used in hand spinning in which individual fibres are drawn out of a mass of prepared fibres held on a stick (the distaff), twisted together to form a continuous strand, and wound on a second stick (the spindle). It is most often used for making linen; wool does not require a distaff (see carding).
Why is it called the distaff?
Distaffs can also be wound with wool or tow, but the etymology of distaff makes it clear that flax was the main fiber used with the tool. The word comes from the Old English stæf, which means “staff,” and dis, which means “bundle of flax,” and was first used in English around 1000AD.
What is the difference between a spindle and a distaff?
The basic tools used to spin the fibers were the spindle and the distaff. A distaff is designed to hold the unspun fibers, meanwhile a spindle is a straight spike, usually made from wood, onto which the fiber is being spun. The most commonly used fibers in Europe were wool and flax.
How does a distaff work?
distaff, Device used in hand spinning in which individual fibres are drawn out of a mass of prepared fibres held on a stick (the distaff), twisted together to form a continuous strand, and wound on a second stick (the spindle). It is most often used for making linen; wool does not require a distaff (see carding).
What is the male equivalent of distaff?
Apparently, the masculine equivalent of the distaff side is the spear side!
When was the distaff invented?
30000 B.C. The first clothes are made with animal skins and fur, leaves, and grass. 1000 A.D. The word ‘distaff’ originates from Low German and means “a bunch of flax connected with a staff.”
What is distaff side?
noun. the female side of a family (opposed to spear side).
What’s the opposite of distaff side?
the male side, or line of descent, of a family (opposed to distaff side or spindle side).
What does the word distaff mean in the Bible?
1a : a staff for holding the flax, tow, or wool in spinning. b : woman’s work or domain. 2 : the female branch or side of a family.
What is a distaff in horse racing?
The Distaff Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are four years old or older at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York.
What’s the opposite of distaff side?
the male side, or line of descent, of a family (opposed to distaff side or spindle side).
What does distaff mean horse racing?
The Distaff Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are four years old or older at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York.
What is distaff side?
noun. the female side of a family (opposed to spear side).
What is the difference between a spindle and a distaff?
The basic tools used to spin the fibers were the spindle and the distaff. A distaff is designed to hold the unspun fibers, meanwhile a spindle is a straight spike, usually made from wood, onto which the fiber is being spun. The most commonly used fibers in Europe were wool and flax.
How does a distaff work?
distaff, Device used in hand spinning in which individual fibres are drawn out of a mass of prepared fibres held on a stick (the distaff), twisted together to form a continuous strand, and wound on a second stick (the spindle). It is most often used for making linen; wool does not require a distaff (see carding).
What are synonyms for distaff?
In this page you can discover 10 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for distaff, like: womankind, gender, muliebrity, feminine, femininity, womanhood, womenfolk, womanish, female and womanly.
What girdle means?
Definition of girdle (Entry 1 of 2) 1 : something that encircles or confines: such as. a : an article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist. b : a woman’s close-fitting undergarment often boned and usually elasticized that extends from the waist to below the hips.
What is a distaff pin?
A distaff pin is a thin wooden pin tied to the end of a ribbon that goes around a dressed flax distaff to make sure the flax stays on the distaff. A distaff pin was typically made by a young man as gifts to the girl he had his eyes on.
What did Atticus mean by the distaff side of the executive branch?
Answer and Explanation: When Atticus says ”the distaff side of the Executive Branch,” he is referring to the women in the country.
How does a spinning wheel work?
On single drive wheels the bobbin has a separate brake to control its speed. The fiber is twisted as the flyer rotates and the spinner holds the yarn. One revolution of the flyer puts one twist into the yarn. The longer the yarn is held before letting it wind onto the bobbin, the more twist it will receive.
