daedal

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 31, 2009 is: daedal • \DEE-dul\ • adjective 1 a : skillful, artistic b : intricate 2 : adorned with many things Examples: The filmmaker makes daedal use of lighting effects and camera angles to create a noirish atmosphere. Did you know? 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." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.