dactylus

[ dak-tuh-luhs ]

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.

Origin of dactylus

1
New Latin <Greek; see dactyl

Words Nearby dactylus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dactylus in a sentence

  • For the same reason the name Pholas dactylus has been given by Naturalists to the species which we represent, fig. 66.

    A Conchological Manual | George Brettingham Sowerby
  • The common name for Pholas dactylus in the market, given to it on account of its cylindrical shape.

    A Conchological Manual | George Brettingham Sowerby
  • 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
  • There is the Pholas dactylus, which resembles a small, animated sausage with a pudding head.

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

    The Ocean World: | Louis Figuier