The difference between Distaff and Female
When used as nouns, distaff means 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, whereas female means a human member of the feminine sex or gender.
When used as adjectives, distaff means of, relating to, or characteristic of women, whereas female means belonging to the sex which typically produces eggs (ova), or to the gender which is typically associated with it.
check bellow for the other definitions of Distaff and Female
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Distaff as a noun:
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.
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Distaff as a noun:
The part of a spinning wheel from which fibre is drawn to be spun.
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Distaff as a noun:
Anything traditionally done by or considered of importance to women only.
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Distaff as a noun:
A race for female horses only.
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Distaff as a noun:
A woman, or women considered as a group.
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Distaff as an adjective:
Of, relating to, or characteristic of women.
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Distaff as an adjective:
Of the maternal side of a family.
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Female as an adjective:
Belonging to the sex which typically produces eggs (ova), or to the gender which is typically associated with it.
Examples:
"female authors'', ''the leading male and female artists'', ''a female bird cooing at a male'', ''intersex female patients'', ''a trans female vlogger"
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Female as an adjective:
Characteristic of this sex/gender. , .}}
Examples:
"stereotypically female pastimes'', ''an insect with typically female coloration"
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Female as an adjective:
Tending to lead to or regulate the development of sexual characteristics typical of this sex.
Examples:
"the female chromosome''; ''estrogen, the primary female sex hormone, is produced by both females and males"
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Female as an adjective (grammar, less common than 'feminine'):
Feminine; of the feminine grammatical gender.
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Female as an adjective (figuratively):
Having an internal socket, as in a connector or pipe fitting.
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Female as a noun (sometimes, _, offensive, see usage notes):
One of the female (feminine) sex or gender. A human member of the feminine sex or gender. An animal of the sex that produces eggs. A plant which produces only that kind of reproductive organ capable of developing into fruit after impregnation or fertilization; a pistillate plant.