Definition dactyl in British English

dactyl noun

[countable] noun

/ˈdæktɪl/

a section of a line of poetry that consists of one syllable (=part of a word) that you emphasize when speaking followed by two syllables that you do not emphasize. An example of this is the word 'pleasantly'.

Synonyms and related words

canto couplet dactyl

Explore Thesaurus