female vs distaff

female and distaff both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
female	Yes	Yes	No	No
distaff	Yes	Yes	No	No

As adjectives, female and distaff are synonyms defined as:

female (noun)	distaff (noun)
an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes (spermatozoa)	the staff on which wool or flax is wound before spinning
a person who belongs to the sex that can have babies	the sphere of work by women

female (adjective)	distaff (adjective)
being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop	characteristic of or peculiar to a woman
for or pertaining to or composed of women or girls
characteristic of or peculiar to a woman