dactyl (dăkt&ibreve_;l), n. [L. dactylus, Gr. daktylos a finger, a dactyl. Cf. Digit.] 1. (Pros.) A poetical foot of three sylables (--- ˘ ˘), one long followed by two short, or one accented followed by two unaccented; as, L. tëgm&ibreve_;n&ebreve_;, E. merciful; -- so called from the similarity of its arrangement to that of the joints of a finger. [Written also dactyle.][1913 Webster]
2. (Zoöl.) (a) A finger or toe; a digit. (b) The claw or terminal joint of a leg of an insect or crustacean.[1913 Webster]