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Daedal Adjective Daedalus Latin Steady December Dee Dul Mythological

Daedal means skillful, artistic, and intricate, or adorned with many things. The adjective is derived from the name of the mythological craftsman Daedalus.

Daedal is an adjective meaning skillful or artistic, and also intricate or adorned. It comes from the name Daedalus, the mythological inventor renowned for his skillful creations.

Word daedal
Date December 9, 2016
Type adjective
Syllables DEE-dul
Etymology You might know Daedalus as the mythological prisoner who fashioned wings of feathers and wax to escape from the island of Crete with his son Icarus. But it was as architect and sculptor, one said to have designed a labyrinth for King Minos on Crete, that he earned his name. Daedalus (from Greek daidalos) is Latin for "skillfully wrought." The same "skillful" Latin adjective gave English the adjectives daedal (in use since the 16th century) and Daedalian (or Daedalean), a synonym of daedal.
Examples The filmmaker makes daedal use of lighting effects and camera angles to create a noirish atmosphere.

"Applying makeup on trains … is not easy. That innumerable Japanese women choose to do so while commuting should, therefore, be seen as a testament to their steady hands as well as that country's steady trains. Indeed, undertaking such a daedal exercise on the Indian railway system—or any other public transport—would be foolhardy unless the intention is to emerge looking like Heath Ledger as the Joker." — The Economic Times, 29 Oct. 2016
Definition 1 a : skillful, artistic
b : intricate
2 : adorned with many things

Tags: wordoftheday::adjective

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