daedal

See also: dædal

English

Alternative forms

• dædal

Etymology

From Latin daedalus, from Ancient Greek δαίδαλος (daídalos, “skillful”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdiːdəl/

Adjective

daedal (comparative more daedal, superlative most daedal)

1. Skilful, ingenious, cunning.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     His daedale hand would faile, and greatly faint, / And her perfections with his error taint […]

   • 1708, [John Philips], “(please specify the page)”, in Cyder. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     The daedal hand of Nature.

   • 1946, Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, →OCLC:

     Barquentine went into a form of a trance, the well-heads of his eyes appearing to cloud over and become opaque like miniature sargassos, of dull chalky-blue – the cataract veil – for it seemed that he was trying to remember the daedal days of his adolescence.

Derived terms

• daedally

 

Anagrams

• la de da, la-de-da