phalanx

noun

pha·​lanx ˈfā-ˌlaŋ(k)s 

 British usually  ˈfa-

plural phalanxes or phalanges fə-ˈlan-(ˌ)jēz 

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 that decision came risk, and that risk was illustrated on day 1, shooting in a quarry where a phalanx of paparazzi was perched up above on a hillside. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 24 July 2024

The front segments of each chain replicate the phalanges (toe bones) while the segments behind them replicate the metatarsal bones (which run from the base of each toe back to the heel). —Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 12 July 2024

The skeleton includes part of the creature’s skull, its entire mandible, two vertebrae, 12 ribs, two gastralia, along with multiple phalanges, metatarsals, and digits. —Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 12 June 2024

He was arrested amid a phalanx of law enforcement, including a SWAT team and helicopter. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 17 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin phalang-, phalanx "close-ranked infantry formation used by the Greeks and Macedonians," borrowed from Greek phalang-, phálanx "log, roller placed under a ship, spar, row, rank, body of troops drawn up in ranks, one of the bones of the fingers and toes," of uncertain origin

Note: For a frequently proffered Indo-European etymology see the note at balk entry 2.

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

phalanx

noun

pha·​lanx ˈfā-ˌlaŋ(k)s 

plural phalanxes or phalanges fə-ˈlan-(ˌ)jēz 

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