dactyl

dac·tyl  (dktl)

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.

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[Middle English dactil, from Latin dactylus, from Greek daktulos, finger, dactyl.]

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dac·tylic (-tlk) adj. & n.

dac·tyli·cal·ly adv.

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dactyl

Noun

Prosody a metrical foot of three syllables, one long followed by two short [Greek daktulos finger, comparing the finger's three joints to the three syllables]

dactylic adj

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dactyl

a digit; a finger or toe. See also measurement.

See also: Fingers and Toes

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a foot of three syllables, the flrst long or accented, the following two short or unaccented. — dactylist, n. — dactylic, adj.

See also: Verse

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	dactyl - a metrical unit with stressed-unstressed-unstressed syllables metrical foot, metrical unit, foot - (prosody) a group of 2 or 3 syllables forming the basic unit of poetic rhythm
	2.	dactyl - a finger or toe in human beings or corresponding body part in other vertebrates digit craniate, vertebrate - animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton with a segmented spinal column and a large brain enclosed in a skull or cranium phalanx - any of the bones of the fingers or toes appendage, extremity, member - an external body part that projects from the body; "it is important to keep the extremities warm" minimus - the fifth digit; the little finger or little toe finger - any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb); "her fingers were long and thin" toe - one of the digits of the foot nail - horny plate covering and protecting part of the dorsal surface of the digits