Plural of distave; plural form of a variant spelling of distaff (the rod on a spinning wheel that holds unspun fiber).
From Middle English 'distaf' or 'distaff', from Old English 'disthæf' (literally 'flax-staff'), combining elements related to flax and staff.
'Distaves' appears in old inventories of household goods—owning multiple distaves meant you were serious about textile production, a key domestic economy for medieval and Renaissance families.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.