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

The administration has mobilized a phalanx of federal regulatory agencies to pass new rules aimed at both destroying U.S. demand and constricting future domestic production of hydrocarbons. —Paul Tice, National Review, 2 Oct. 2024

The swanky nightspot — right on the edge of Liccardo’s new district — was packed to the brim with Liccardo supporters and a phalanx of media cameras. —Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024

In keeping with baseball’s elder-skewing fan base, many of the in-game commercials have been snapped up by pharmaceutical companies; among the big spenders on Monday night included a phalanx of spell-check-challenging brands such as Bimzelx, Arexvy, Farxiga, Wegovy, Skyrizi and Nutrafol. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 29 Oct. 2024

Countless synchronized mass performances featured phalanxes of girls shaking pom-poms and boys wielding lightsabers, creating gorgeous electronic flowers in the darkness. —Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 6 Feb. 2022

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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

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