phalanx
Use Phalanx in a sentence
pha·lanx
[fey-langks, fal-angks] noun, plural pha·lanx·es or for 7, pha·lan·ges 
læŋks, ˈfæl [fuh-lan-jeez] , verb noun
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, ( initial capital letter ) a radar-controlled U.S. Navy 20mm 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. See diag. under skeleton.
verb (used without object)
8.
Printing. to arrange the distribution of work in a shop as evenly as possible.
00:10
Phalanx
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is fletcherise. Does it mean:
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
| to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly. |
Origin:
1545–55; < Latin < Greek phálanx military formation, bone of finger or toe, wooden roller
1545–55; < Latin < Greek phálanx military formation, bone of finger or toe, wooden roller
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To phalanx
Collins
World English Dictionary
phalanx (ˈfælæŋks) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl phalanxes, phalanges | |
| 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 toesRelated: phalangeal |
| 6. | botany |
| a. a bundle of stamens, joined together by their stalks (filaments) | |
| b. Compare guerrilla a form of vegetative spread in which the advance is on a broad front, as in the common reed | |
| Related: phalangeal | |
| [C16: via Latin from Greek: infantry formation in close ranks, bone of finger or toe] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
phalanx
1553, from Gk. phalanx (gen. phalangos) "line of battle, battle array," also "finger or toe bone," originally "round piece of wood, trunk, log," of unknown origin, perhaps from PIE base *bhelg- "plank, beam" (cf. O.E. balca "balk;" see balk). In anatomy, originally the whole
row of finger joints, which fit together like infantry in close order. Fig. sense of "number of persons banded together in a common cause" is attested from 1600 (cf. Sp. Falangist, member of a fascist organization founded in 1933).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
phalanx pha·lanx (fā'lāngks', fāl'āngks')
n. pl. pha·lanx·es or pha·lan·ges (fə-lān'jēz, fā-)
Any of the long bones of the fingers or toes, numbering 14 for each hand or foot: two for the thumb or big toe, and three each for the other four digits.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| phalanx (fā'lāngks') Pronunciation Key
Plural phalanges (fə-lān'jēz) Any of the small bones of the fingers or toes in humans or the digits of many other vertebrates. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
On board, a phalanx of scientists started probing the breath of the forest.
He faced a phalanx of television crews and photographers, bowed slightly but did not say a word.
His movements now are shadowed by a phalanx of corporate-provided security.
The dignity afforded by a phalanx of neatly labeled toy boxes or home-office files, however, is priceless.
Matching Quote
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
