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dac·tyl

(dăktəl)

a. A metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by two unaccented, as in flattery.

b. A metrical foot in quantitative verse consisting of one long syllable followed by two short syllables.

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

[Middle English dactil, from Latin dactylus, from Greek daktulos, finger, toe, dactyl (the three syllables of a dactyl being likened to the three phalanges of a finger ).]

dac·tylic (-tĭlĭk) adj. & n.

dac·tyli·cal·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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