dac ‧ tyl /ˈdæktɪl $ -tl/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: dactylus , from Greek daktylos 'finger' (because of the length of the three finger-joints) ]
a repeated sound pattern in poetry, consisting of one long sound followed by two short sounds, as in the word ‘carefully’
—dactylic /dækˈtɪlɪk/ adjective