phalanx

noun

pha·​lanx ˈfā-ˌlaŋ(k)s How to pronounce phalanx (audio)
 British usually  ˈfa-
plural phalanxes or phalanges fə-ˈlan-(ˌ)jēz How to pronounce phalanx (audio)
fā-,
ˈfā-ˌ,
 British usually  fa-
1
: a body of heavily armed infantry in ancient Greece formed in close deep ranks and files
broadly : a body of troops in close array
2
plural phalanges : one of the digital bones of the hand or foot of a vertebrate
3
plural usually phalanxes
a
: a massed arrangement of persons, animals, or things
a phalanx of armed guards
b
: an organized body of persons
a phalanx of lawyers

Did you know?

The original sense of phalanx refers to a military formation that was used in ancient warfare and consisted of a tight block of soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder, several rows deep, often with shields joined. The word phalanx comes from the Greeks, though they were not the only ones who used this formation. The Greek term literally means "log" and was used for both this line of battle and for a bone in a finger or toe. The word and its senses passed into Latin and then were adopted into English in the 16th century. These days, a phalanx can be any arranged mass, whether of persons, animals, or things, or a body of people organized in a particular effort.

Examples of phalanx in a Sentence

A solid phalanx of armed guards stood in front of the castle. She had to go through a phalanx of television cameras.
Recent Examples on the Web With a sliver of the imposing Beaux Arts federal building rising from the left, the phalanx is framed by leafy green trees — an ensemble rather like classical sculptures of ancient deities, orators and ancestors prowling a 17th century garden at an English manor. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Also impressive is the phalanx of female dancers who often show up alongside her and apply themselves to no less a diverse array of tasks than Slater, alternately dressing as nuns, Las Vegas showgirls, and French stereotypes, among others. EW.com, 17 Nov. 2023 And, in what might be the starriest turn out of the season thus far, Collins was joined by a phalanx of A-listers: among them Zoë Kravitz, Diane Kruger, Charlotte Rampling, Carla Bruni, Linda Evangelista, Monica Belluci, Iris Law and Kate and Lila Moss. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024 The handful of voters and a phalanx of media will gather at The Balsams Resort, where voting will commence promptly at midnight Monday. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024 In combat, junior commanders can take the initiative without meddling from phalanxes of staff officers at higher levels. Shashank Joshi, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 By late October, both sides were warming to a big, ambitious plan, presented with slick charts by a phalanx of veterans from the world of high finance. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024 With 8 seconds left and the Niners trailing by four, Young stumbled, dropping back from center and then threaded a 25-yard pass between a phalanx of Packers to Owens, who somehow managed to hold onto it despite being hit by two defenders, for a 30-27 win. Josh Dubow, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2024 Staff from the Times, Vogue, Newsweek, and Time and a phalanx of Japanese businessmen were among the two hundred curious souls who made their way into the ballroom of the Gramercy Park Hotel, decorated with the original painting Forcade had commissioned for the cover. Sean Howe, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'phalanx.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin phalang-, phalanx, from Greek, battle line, digital bone, literally, log — more at balk entry 2

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of phalanx was in 1553

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Dictionary Entries Near phalanx

Cite this Entry

“Phalanx.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phalanx. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

phalanx

noun
pha·​lanx ˈfā-ˌlaŋ(k)s How to pronounce phalanx (audio)
plural phalanxes or phalanges fə-ˈlan-(ˌ)jēz How to pronounce phalanx (audio)
fā-
1
: a body of heavily armed infantry of ancient Greece
2
plural phalanges : one of the bones of a finger or toe of a vertebrate

Medical Definition

phalanx

noun
pha·​lanx
ˈfā-ˌlaŋ(k)s, British usually ˈfal-ˌaŋ(k)s
plural phalanges
fə-ˈlan-(ˌ)jēz, fā-, ˈfā-ˌ, British usually fal-ˈan-
: any of the digital bones of the hand or foot distal to the metacarpus or metatarsus of a vertebrate that in humans are three to each finger and toe with the exception of the thumb and big toe which have only two each

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