What is distaff race?
Today, the word distaff is used in horse racing to mean a class of race that consists of only female horses.
Where did the word distaff come from?
The word comes from dis in Low German, meaning a bunch of flax, connected with staff. As an adjective the term distaff is used to describe the female side of a family. The corresponding term for the male side of a family is the “spear” side.
What is the male equivalent of distaff?
spear side
Apparently, the masculine equivalent of the distaff side is the spear side!
Is distaff derogatory?
Since spinning was traditionally done by females, distaff took on figurative meanings relating to women or women’s work. Women who find the term offensive are probably aware of its origin in female stereotypes. Another current use of the adjective is in reference to horses: a distaff race is for fillies or mares.
What does Distaff mean in the Bible?
A distaff was originally a short staff that held a bundle of fibers – of flax or wool, for example – ready to be spun into yarn or thread. Since spinning was a basic daily task customarily done by women, the distaff came to be the symbol for the work or domain of women.
Who won the Distaff?
With a win in 2020, Monomoy Girl became the forth after capturing a win in 2018. Jockey Mike Smith rode her to victory, and he’s ridden a record five Distaff winners. Trainer Bill Mott has also won the race a record five times.
What did Atticus mean by the distaff of the executive branch?
When Atticus says ”the distaff side of the Executive Branch,” he is referring to the women in the country.
What does distaff mean in the Bible?
What is opposite of distaff?
The antonym of distaff is agnate.
What are synonyms for distaff?
Synonyms & Antonyms of distaff
- effeminate,
- effete,
- epicene,
- sissified,
- sissy,
- unmanly.
What are Distaffs used for?
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).
Where does the word Distaff come from in English?
This symbolic use of the noun distaff dates back to the time of Chaucer and is found in several works by Shakespeare. Eventually distaff came to be used for the female branch of a family and then as an adjective, as in the distaff side of the family.
What kind of tool is a distaff used for?
A distaff (/ˈdɪstɑːf/, /ˈdɪstæf/, also called a rock) is a tool used in spinning.
How is a distaff used in the spinning process?
A distaff and a spindle. 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 fiber.
When did the Distaff race start in horse racing?
One still recognized use of the term is in horse racing, in which races limited to female horses are referred to as distaff races. From 1984 until 2007, at the American Breeders’ Cup World Championships, the major race for fillies and mares was the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.