dactyl

dac·tyl

noun \ˈdak-t^əl, -ˌtil\

Definition of DACTYL

: a metrical foot consisting of one long and two short syllables or of one stressed and two unstressed syllables (as in tenderly)

— dac·tyl·ic \dak-ˈti-lik\ adjective or noun

Origin of DACTYL

Middle English dactile, from Latin dactylus, from Greek daktylos, literally, finger; from the fact that the first of three syllables is the longest, like the joints of the finger

First Known Use: 14th century

Rhymes with DACTYL

tactile