Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Latin
Origin: dactylus, from Greek daktylos 'finger' (because of the length of the three finger-joints)

dactyl

 noun
     
Related topics: Literature
dac‧tyl [countable]
AL a repeated sound pattern in poetry, consisting of one long sound followed by two short sounds, as in the word 'carefully'
—dactylic adjective
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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