tridactyl

American

[trahy-dak-til] / traɪˈdæk tɪl /

adjective

Zoology.

having three fingers or toes, as certain reptiles.

tridactyl British

/ traɪˈdæktəl /

adjective

having three digits on one hand or foot

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tridactyl

First recorded in 1805–15; tri- + -dactyl

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"It's what we call a tridactyl print. It's got these three toes that are very, very clear in the print."

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2025

Very briefly stated, the modifications consist in a gradual increase in size, with greater slenderness of proportions, accompanied by elongation of the neck, limbs, and feet, which become tridactyl and very narrow.

From Darwin and Modern Science by Seward, A. C. (Albert Charles)

The upper Miocene genera, Protohippus and Hipparion are, to all intents and purposes, modern in character, but their smaller size, tridactyl feet and somewhat shorter-crowned teeth are reminiscences of their ancestry.

From Darwin and Modern Science by Seward, A. C. (Albert Charles)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023