phalanx
noun
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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
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024
The men appeared in gray suits and blue ties while a phalanx of law enforcement officers from Alameda and other local jurisdictions sat nearby in the gallery.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2024
Adams typically enters his Tuesday briefings accompanied by triumphant walk-on music and a phalanx of deputies, including his chief legal counsel.
—Jake Offenhartz, Chicago Tribune, 30 Sep. 2024
Tehran has cultivated a phalanx of religious allies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen—frontline forces arrayed against a nuclear-armed Israel and the Sunni governments in the region.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Phalanx.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phalanx. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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phalanx
noun
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