dactyl

noun

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dac·tyl | \ ˈdak-tᵊl

, -ˌtil \

Definition of dactyl

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

dactyl-

combining form

variants: or dactylo-

Definition of dactyl- (Entry 2 of 2)

: finger : toe : digit dactylology

Other Words from dactyl Example Sentences Learn More About dactyl

Examples of dactyl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun This week: Write a poem of no longer than eight lines (plus an optional title) about someone who died in 2021, as in the double dactyl above by Lover of Baseball, Double Dactyls and Bad Language Gene Weingarten. — Washington Post, 30 Dec. 2021 This was the tack taken by Gene Weingarten in today’s example, a double dactyl about the famously profane Tommy Lasorda. — Washington Post, 30 Dec. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dactyl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for dactyl

Noun

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

Combining form

Greek daktyl-, daktylo-, from daktylos