DISTAD
Dis"tad, adv. Etym: [Distal + L. ad toward.] (Anat.)
Defn: Toward a distal part; on the distal side of; distally.
DISTAFF Dis"taff, n.; pl. Distaffs, rarely Distaves. Etym: [OE. distaf, dysestafe, AS. distaef; cf. LG. diesse the bunch of flax on a distaff, and E. dizen. See Staff.]
1. The staff for holding a bunch of flax, tow, or wool, from which the thread is drawn in spinning by hand. I will the distaff hold; come thou and spin. Fairfax.
2. Used as a symbol of the holder of a distaff; hence, a woman;
women, collectively.
His crown usurped, a distaff on the throne. Dryden.
Some say the crozier, some say the distaff was too busy. Howell.
Note: The plural is regular, but Distaves occurs in Beaumont & Fletcher. Descent by distaff, descent on the mother's side. — Distaff Day, or Distaff's Day, the morrow of the Epiphany, that is, January 7, because working at the distaff was then resumed, after the Christmas festival; — called also Rock Day, a distaff being called a rock. Shipley.
DISTAIN
Dis*tain", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distained; p. pr. & vb. n.
Distaining.] Etym: [OE. desteinen, OF. desteindre to take away the
color, F. déteindre; pref. des- (L. dis-) + F. teindre to tinge, dye,
L. tingere. See Tinge, and cf. Stain.]
Defn: To tinge with a different color from the natural or proper one; to stain; to discolor; to sully; to tarnish; to defile; — used chiefly in poetry. "Distained with dirt and blood." Spenser. [She] hath . . . distained her honorable blood. Spenser. The worthiness of praise distains his worth. Shak.
DISTAL Dis"tal, a. Etym: [From Distant.] (Physiol.) (a) Remote from the point of attachment or origin; as, the distal end of a bone or muscle; — opposed to proximal. (b) Pertaining to that which is distal; as, the distal tuberosities of a bone.
DISTALLY
Dis"tal*ly, adv. (Anat.)