Daedal
Adjective
- Skillful, cunning, or inventive.
Example Sentences
“The invitation’s daedal directions to the party helped us avoid rush-hour traffic entirely.”
“My father’s cat is so daedal, it has figured out how to open the front door.”
“The daedal carvings on the structure showed the ingenuity of the ancient culture.”
Word Origin
Latin, mid-17th century
Why this word?
“Daedal” is derived from the Latin “daedalus,” which is based on the ancient Greek name that means “cunning one.” The Greek mythological architect and inventor Daedalus is best known for molding the wax wings that carried his son Icarus too close to the sun. Daedalus was also said to have built the original Labyrinth on the island of Crete, where it contained the Minotaur (and nearly trapped Daedalus himself as he became confused by his own invention). Because of such ingenious work, Daedalus is associated with cleverness and inventiveness.