cowlstaffs
/ˈkaʊlˌstæfs/
noun
- Long poles used to carry a load (such as a basket or tub) suspended between two people, one at each end.
- In medieval times, servants would transport laundry using cowlstaffs balanced on their shoulders.
- The farmers used cowlstaffs to carry the heavy harvest baskets across the field.
- The museum displayed a pair of cowlstaffs once used for carrying water buckets.