dactylous

From Ancient Greek δάκτυλος (dáktulos, “finger”) + -ous or dactyl +‎ -ous.

dactylous

1. Finger-like.
   • 1887, James W. Davis, “The Fossil Fishes of the Chalk of Mount Lebanon, In Syria”, in The Scientific Transactions of the Royal Dublin Society, page 476:

     The larger ossicles are striated on the surface, the striae being produced along the anterior margin so as to give it a dactylous appearance; the median striation is longest, and extends to the point of the rhomboidally-shaped scale.

   • 1941, Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography of Plants, page 69:

     basal dactylous cell of the sterile branchlets tapering into the conical and strongly acuminate ultimate cell ; basal dactylous cell of the fertile branchlets rounded at the apex;

   • 1963, Theodor Mortensen, “Report on the Echinoidea Collected by the United States Fisheries Steamer "Albatross" During the Pilippine Expedition, 1907-1910.”, in Papers on Echinoidea, Fishes, and Copepoda, page 21:

     The unfortunate fact that there are no dactylous pedicellariae to be found in the specimen under consideration prevents reaching a definite conclusion. The dactylous pedicellariae of A. owstoni and A. coriaceum are very different— 3-valved and of a very primitive type in the former, 5-valved and of a highly finished type in the latter.

   • 2005, D.R. Khanna, Biology of Echinodermata, page 79:

     The dactylous type reaches its extreme development in species of Araeosoma, where it consists of four or five jaws drawn out into a long narrow shape, topped by a terminal disciform expansion.

2. Having or pertaining to fingers or toes.
   • 1972, The Cornell Veterinarian - Volume 62, page 327:

     Congenital dactylous malformations in 15 of 401 malformed lambs ( 3.7 percent ) are described .

   • 2000, Henry Gee, Shaking the Tree: Readings from Nature in the History of Life, page 277:

     Although the Famennian tetrapods have dactylous limbs and more heavily constructed vertebral columns than lobe-finned fishes, they still appear to have been largely aquatic.

   • 2001, Karel F. Liem, Warren Franklin Walker, Functional Anatomy of the Vertebrates, page 79:

     We presume that they made at least brief ventures onto land because of their dactylous limbs and modified limb girdles.

3. Pertaining to dactyls.
   • 1852, William Tait, Christian Isobel Johnstone, “Literature”, in Tait's Edinburgh Magazine, volume 19, page 506:

     There is a charming sonnet at the end, whcih comes to our lips like a draught of vintage that hath been Cooled a long age in the deep deved earth; and is might refreshing after the dactylous jolting of two hundred pages, and indicates the possession of original powers in the writer.