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Literature vocabulary · Poetry

Dactyl

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In literature, dactyl means: A metrical foot with one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.

In Turkish: daktil, bir vurgulu iki vurgusuz ayak

How it is used

Use for the stress pattern DUM-da-da; distinguish English stress from classical patterns of syllable length.

Example sentences

  1. The word 'merrily' can illustrate a dactyl when its first syllable carries the stress.

    The stressed opening is followed by two lighter syllables.

  2. We heard a dactyl at the opening, but the rest of the line followed another pattern.

    One foot does not determine the meter of the whole line.

Common collocations

  • a dactylic foot
  • identify a dactyl
  • meterA regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry, measured in units called feet, such as the iamb (da-DUM) or the trochee (DUM-da).
  • rhythmThe pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, pauses and speed in a line of poetry or prose, which gives it a sense of movement.

More terms: Poetry

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