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dactylus

[dak-tuh-luh s]
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noun, plural dac·ty·li [dak-tuh-lahy, -lee] /ˈdæk təˌlaɪ, -ˌli/.
  1. an enlarged portion of the leg after the first joint in some insects, as the pollen-carrying segment in the hind leg of certain bees.
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Origin of dactylus

New Latin < Greek; see dactyl
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for dactylus

Historical Examples

  • Pholas dactylus having hollowed out a shelter in a block of gneiss.

    The Ocean World:

    Louis Figuier

  • It has the shape of a date, or of a finger; whence its name of Dactylus, which in Greek signifies a finger.

    The Phantom World

    Augustin Calmet