distaff

noun

1. A device to which a bundle of natural fibres (often wool, flax, or cotton) are attached for temporary storage, before being drawn off gradually to spin thread. A traditional distaff is a staff with flax fibres tied loosely to it (as indicated by the etymology of the word), but modern distaffs are often made of cords weighted with beads, and attached to the wrist.

   “Then hadſt thou had an excellent head of haire. […] Excellent, it hangs like flax on a diſtaffe: & I hope to ſee a huſwife take thee between her legs, & ſpin it off.”

   “I muſt change armes at home, and giue the diſtaffe Into my Husbands hands, […]”

2. The part of a spinning wheel from which fibre is drawn to be spun.
3. Anything traditionally done by or considered of importance to women only.
4. A race for female horses only.
5. (also, collective)A woman, or women considered as a group.

   “But O, passenger, if thou art desirous to know the cause of these fatal discomposures, of this inextricable war, truly I must deal plainly: I cannot resolve thee herein to any full satisfaction. Grievances there were, I must confess, and some incongruities in my civil government, (wherein, some say, the crozier, some say, the distaff was too busy,) but I little thought, God knows, that those grievances required a redress this way.”

   “[C]an I ſooth Tyranny? Seem pleas'd to ſee my Royal Maſter murther'd, His crown uſurp'd, a Diſtaff in the Throne [Anne, Queen of Great Britain], A Council made up of ſuch as dare not ſpeak, And could not if they durſt; […]”

   “"[…] Where is our little distaff member this morning?" "I had to send her home. She came to work this morning in her nightgown." Ignatius frowned and said, "I do not understand why she was sent away. After all, we are quite informal here. We are one big family. I only hope that you have not damaged her morale."”

adj

1. (not-comparable)Of, relating to, or characteristic of women.

   “Henry knew. If he were blackballed by this distaff Mafia, he was doomed: Endless, but always justifiable, delays would occur in the work he wanted typed.”

   “Women predominate not only, I think, because of matriarchal considerations, or claims to divine paternity, but also because Boiotian tradition leans in every way toward the distaff side.”

2. (not-comparable)Of the maternal side of a family.

   “Lord Robert Walsingham de Vere St. Simon, second son of the Duke of Balmoral— […] They inherit Plantagenet blood by direct descent, and Tudor on the distaff side.”