dactyl

[ dak-til ]

/ ˈdæk tɪl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR dactyl ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Prosody. a foot of three syllables, one long followed by two short in quantitative meter, or one stressed followed by two unstressed in accentual meter, as in gently and humanly. Symbol:

a finger or toe.

Origin of dactyl

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin dactylus < Greek dáktylos finger, a dactyl, referring to the three joints of the finger

Words nearby dactyl

dacryoscintigraphy, dacryosolenitis, dacryostenosis, dacryosyrinx, dactinomycin, dactyl, dactylic, dactylitis, dactylo-, dactylogram, dactylography

Definition for dactyl (2 of 4)

Dactyl

or Dak·tyl

[ dak-til ]

/ ˈdæk tɪl /

noun, plural Dac·tyls, Dac·tyl·i [dak-ti-lahy] /ˈdæk tɪˌlaɪ/. Classical Mythology.

any of a number of beings dwelling on Mount Ida and working as metalworkers and magicians.

Origin of Dactyl

< Greek Dáktyloi ( Idaîoi) (Idaean) craftsmen or wizards (plural of dáktylos; see dactyl)

Definition for dactyl (3 of 4)

dactylo-

a combining form meaning “finger,” “toe,” used in the formation of compound words: dactylomegaly.

Also dactyl-.

Origin of dactylo-

< Greek, combining form representing dáktylos finger, toe

Definition for dactyl (4 of 4)

-dactyl

variant of -dactylous, especially with nouns: pterodactyl.

Example sentences from the Web for dactyl

The Dactyl, which has the first syllable accented and the two latter unaccented: as, "Jnthin, Jffr-sn."

The Comic English Grammar |Percival Leigh
A Dactyl is a three-syllable foot accented on the first syllable.

English: Composition and Literature |W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
The Dactyl, rolls round, expresses beautifully the majesty of the sun in his course.

Dissertation on the English Language |Noah Webster, Jr.
“Dactyl” is a fine word; in Greek it means “finger”; like a finger, a poetic dactyl has three parts, one long and two short.

Practical English Composition: Book II. |Edwin L. Miller

If our accent, a quality of sound were actually equivalent to the Quantity in the Greek ¯ ˘ ¯, or dactyl ¯ ˘ ˘ at least.

The Complete Poetical Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge |Samuel Taylor Coleridge

British Dictionary definitions for dactyl (1 of 2)

dactyl

/ (ˈdæktɪl) /

noun

Also called: dactylic prosody a metrical foot of three syllables, one long followed by two short (– ◡ ◡) Compare bacchius

zoology any digit of a vertebrate

Word Origin for dactyl

C14: via Latin from Greek daktulos finger, dactyl, comparing the finger's three joints to the three syllables

British Dictionary definitions for dactyl (2 of 2)

dactylo-

before a vowel dactyl-

combining form

finger or toe dactylogram

Word Origin for dactylo-

from Greek daktulos finger

Medical definitions for dactyl (1 of 2)

dactyl

[ dăk′təl ]

n.

A finger or toe; digit.

Medical definitions for dactyl (2 of 2)

dactylo-

pref.

Digit:dactylomegaly.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

dactyl

noun

Origin of dactyl

Words nearby dactyl