a section of a line of poetry that consists of one syllable (=part of a word) that you emphasize when speaking followed by two syllables that you do not emphasize. An example of this is the word ‘pleasantly’.
Synonyms and related words
Parts of poems
canto
couplet
dactyl
dactyl
noun countable literature
US /ˈdækt(ə)l/
Word Forms
singular
dactyl
plural
dactyls
DEFINITIONS1
1
a section of a line of poetry that consists of one syllable (=part of a word) that you emphasize when speaking followed by two syllables that you do not emphasize. An example of this is the word “pleasantly.”