phalanx

[fey-langks, fal-angks]

noun

plural

phalanxes, phalanges 

1. (in ancient Greece) a group of heavily armed infantry formed in ranks and files close and deep, with shields joined and long spears overlapping.

2. any body of troops in close array.

3. a number of individuals, especially persons united for a common purpose.

4. a compact or closely massed body of persons, animals, or things.

5. Military.,  Phalanx, a radar-controlled U.S. Navy 20 mm Gatling-type gun deployed on ships as a last line of defense against antiship cruise missiles.

6. (in Fourierism) a group of about 1800 persons, living together and holding their property in common.

7. Anatomy, Zoology.,  any of the bones of the fingers or toes.

verb (used without object)

1. Printing.,  to arrange the distribution of work in a shop as evenly as possible.

phalanx

/ ˈfælæŋks /

noun

1. an ancient Greek and Macedonian battle formation of hoplites presenting long spears from behind a wall of overlapping shields

2. any closely ranked unit or mass of people

   the police formed a phalanx to protect the embassy

3. a number of people united for a common purpose

4. (in Fourierism) a group of approximately 1800 persons forming a commune in which all property is collectively owned

5. anatomy any of the bones of the fingers or toes

6. botany

   1. a bundle of stamens, joined together by their stalks (filaments)

   2. a form of vegetative spread in which the advance is on a broad front, as in the common reed Compare guerrilla

phalanx

plural

phalanges 

1. Any of the small bones of the fingers or toes in humans or the digits of many other vertebrates.

Word History and Origins

Origin of phalanx¹

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin, from Greek phálanx “military formation, bone of finger or toe, wooden roller”

Word History and Origins

Origin of phalanx¹

C16: via Latin from Greek: infantry formation in close ranks, bone of finger or toe

Example Sentences

The company equipped him with state-of-the-art shoes and a phalanx of pace-setting runners tagging in and out to escort him on his way.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A phalanx of left-wing experts led by Biden campaign adviser Ezekiel Emanuel then wrote an open letter urging Dr. Bourla to collect more data, which would ensure results weren’t reported until after the election.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And then there’s the viral footage of a food delivery driver on his bike cussing out a phalanx of armed Border Patrol agents in downtown Chicago last month.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The next time Cavanaugh appeared at the agency’s door, he and a phalanx of local police officers forced their way in.

Read more on Salon

About 9 a.m., she said, phalanxes of masked agents in tactical vests sealed off the sprawling compound.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• army 
• flock 
• horde 
• multitude 
• throng