DACTYL Definition & Meaning

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dactyl

[dak-til]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

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.
a finger or toe.

Dactyl

Or �ٲ��·�ٲ��

[dak-til]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Classical Mythology.

plural

Dactyls, Dactyli

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

-dactyl

variant of -dactylous, especially with nouns.
pterodactyl.

dactyl

/ ˈ��æ��ɪ�� /

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

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of dactyl¹

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

Origin of dactyl²

< Greek ��á��ٲ��Ǿ� ( ��岹î�Ǿ� ) (Idaean) craftsmen or wizards (plural of ��á��ٲ��ǲ�; dactyl )

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of dactyl¹

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

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

They aren’t exactly Homeric dactyls, but they seem intended to mirror that ancient literary form, and they give “Everyday Life” an easily digestible if slightly pretentious rhythm.

From

She glanced back, saw Two Step on top of another dactyl, screaming for dear life.

From

Without the translation, the vuvv’s ode, its scratchy iambs and dactyls, sound like someone walking forcefully in corduroys.

From

A single stressed syllable, then a trochee, then a dactyl, for prosody nerds.

From

The double dactyl is a form invented by writers Anthony Hecht and Paul Pascal on a whim over lunch in Rome in 1951.

From

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When To Use

What does��-dactyl mean?

The combining form -dactyl is used like a suffix with two related meanings. Depending on the context, it can mean "fingered, possessing fingers" or "toed, possessing toes." Essentially, -dactyl means "having digits." It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in anatomy and zoology.The form -dactyl comes from Greek ��á��ٲ��ǲ�, meaning “finger” or “toe.” In poetry, the metrical foot known as a dactyl also derives from this same Greek root. Learn more at our entry for dactyl.What are variants of -dactyl?The form -dactyl is a variant of -dactylous, as in tetradactylous.While not a variant of -dactyl, -dactyly is also related to this form. Want to know more? Read our 51�Թ�s That Use article for these combining forms.

dactinomycin dactylic

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