dactyl

[ dak-til ]

/ ˈdæk tɪl /

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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.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

Dacron, dacryo-, dacryon, dacryorrhea, dactinomycin, dactyl, dactylic, dactylo-, dactylogram, dactylography, dactylology

Other definitions for dactyl (2 of 3)

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)

Other definitions for dactyl (3 of 3)

-dactyl

variant of -dactylous, especially with nouns: pterodactyl.

How to use dactyl in a sentence

The control algorithm, Dactyl, needed some 100 years’ worth of experience in a simulation powered by 6,144 CPUs and 8 Nvidia V100 GPUs to accomplish this relatively simple task.
This Robot Dog Has an AI Brain and Taught Itself to Walk in Just an Hour|Jason Dorrier|August 8, 2022|Singularity Hub
A Dactyl is a three-syllable foot accented on the first syllable.
English: Composition and Literature|W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
It will be noted that the dactyl is very closely related in expression to the trochee, and the anapest to the iambic.
Browning and the Dramatic Monologue|S. S. Curry
The proceleusmatic foot, or four short syllables, instead of the dactyl; scen.
View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages, Vol. 3 (of 3)|Henry Hallam

This foot, consisting of one accented syllable, followed by two unaccented syllables, is called a dactyl.
Elementary Guide to Literary Criticism|F. V. N. Painter
The Dactyl, a foot of three syllables, the first long and the two last short, is used principally in the first place in the line.
Dissertation on the English Language|Noah Webster, Jr.

British Dictionary definitions for dactyl

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dactyl

Origin of dactyl

Words nearby dactyl

Other definitions for dactyl (2 of 3)

or Dak·tyl

Origin of Dactyl

Other definitions for dactyl (3 of 3)

Words related to dactyl

How to use dactyl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dactyl

Word Origin for dactyl