from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
dactyl \dac"tyl\ (d[a^]k"t[i^]l), n. [L. dactylus, Gr. da`ktylos
a finger, a dactyl. Cf. {Digit}.]
1. (Pros.) A poetical foot of three sylables (--- [crescent]
[crescent]), one long followed by two short, or one
accented followed by two unaccented; as, L.
t["e]gm[i^]n[e^], E. mer[bprime]ciful; -- so called from
the similarity of its arrangement to that of the joints of
a finger. [Written also {dactyle}.]
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.)
(a) A finger or toe; a digit.
(b) The claw or terminal joint of a leg of an insect or
crustacean.
[1913 Webster]