phalanx

C2 Topic:War & Conflict

US /ˈfeɪ.læŋks/ UK /ˈfæl.æŋks/ See IPA manual

Freq #40300

Meanings

1

noun
a close-ranked formation of soldiers, especially the spear-bearing formation of ancient Greece and Macedonia

The phalanx advanced behind a wall of overlapping shields and projecting spears.
2

noun
a compact, organized group of people or things

A phalanx of lawyers surrounded the witness as she left the courthouse.
3

noun
any one of the bones in a finger or toe

The scan showed a small fracture in the distal phalanx of his index finger.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a close-ranked formation of... formationbattle line

2 noun · a compact, organized group... rank mass body

3 noun · any one of the bones in a... finger bonetoe bone

Word family

Forms phalanges

Derived forms interphalanxmesophalanx

Related forms phalangealphalangesphalangite

Etymology

Borrowed through Latin phalanx from Ancient Greek phalanx, 'line of battle, array,' and also 'log' or 'roller.' The image of a solid row produced the military sense and later the figurative sense of a compact group; anatomy uses the same Greek word for a finger or toe bone.

Topics

War & Conflict

External links

# phalanx

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈfeɪ.læŋks/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfæl.æŋks/
**Frequency rank:** 40300

## Meanings
1. a close-ranked formation of soldiers, especially the spear-bearing formation of ancient Greece and Macedonia
2. a compact, organized group of people or things
3. any one of the bones in a finger or toe

## Examples
- The phalanx advanced behind a wall of overlapping shields and projecting spears.
- A phalanx of lawyers surrounded the witness as she left the courthouse.
- The scan showed a small fracture in the distal phalanx of his index finger.

## Synonyms
- formation
- rank
- mass

## Derived Forms
- interphalanx
- mesophalanx

## Related Forms
- phalangeal
- phalanges
- phalangite

## Etymology
Borrowed through Latin phalanx from Ancient Greek phalanx, 'line of battle, array,' and also 'log' or 'roller.' The image of a solid row produced the military sense and later the figurative sense of a compact group; anatomy uses the same Greek word for a finger or toe bone.

## Topics
- War & Conflict

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