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dactyl

 - 10 dictionary results

dac⋅tyl

  [dak-til]
Use dactyl in a Sentence
–noun
1. 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:
2. a finger or toe.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L dactylus < Gk dáktylos finger, a dactyl, referring to the three joints of the finger

Dac⋅tyl

  [dak-til]
–noun, plural -tyls, -tyl⋅i  [-ti-lahy] . Classical Mythology.
any of a number of beings dwelling on Mount Ida and working as metalworkers and magicians.
Also, Daktyl.

Origin:
< Gk Dáktyloi (Idaîoi) (Idaean) craftsmen or wizards (pl. of dáktylos; see dactyl )

-dactyl

 
var. of -dactylous, esp. with nouns: pterodactyl.

dactylo-

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

Origin:
< Gk, comb. form repr. dáktylos finger, toe
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To dactyl
dac·tyl   (dāk'təl)   
n.  

  1. A metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by two unaccented or of one long syllable followed by two short, as in flattery.

  2. A finger, toe, or similar part or structure; a digit.


[Middle English dactil, from Latin dactylus, from Greek daktulos, finger, dactyl.]
dac·tyl'ic (-tĭl'ĭk) adj. & n., dac·tyl'i·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

dactyl 
1398, from Gk. dactylos "finger," of unknown origin; the metrical use (a long syllable followed by two short ones) is by analogy with the three joints of a finger.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: dac·tyl
Pronunciation: 'dak-t&l
Function: noun
: a finger or toe
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

dactyl dac·tyl (dāk'təl)
n.
A finger or toe; digit.

dactylo- or dactyl-
pref.
Digit: dactylomegaly.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

dactyl

metrical foot consisting of one long (classical verse) or stressed (English verse) syllable followed by two short, or unstressed, syllables. Probably the oldest and most common metre in classical verse is the dactylic hexameter, the metre of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and of other ancient epics. Dactylic metres are fairly rare in English verse, one difficulty being that the prolonged use of the dactyl tends to distort normal word accent, giving the lines a jerky movement. They appeared with regularity only after poets like Robert Browning and Algernon Charles Swinburne successfully used the form in the 19th century. Dactylic rhythm produces a lilting movement as in the following example from Byron's Bride of Abydos:

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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