From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdistaffdis‧taff /ˈdɪstɑːf $ -stæf/ noun [countable] a stick, used in the past for spinning wool
Examples from the Corpus
distaff• The wool was wound on a long stick called a distaff.• She is associated with a bridge, a subterranean aqueduct and a magic distaff, one of the symbols of Athene.• Men who did not take the cross received gifts of distaff and wool, implying that they were no better than women.• She adjusted the loose threads in one hand and held the distaff in the other.• Made curious, she took the distaff in her hand and began to draw out the thread.• The distaff whirled, twisting the threads. 