phalanx Hear it!

phalanx Definition

pha·lanx (laŋks′, falaŋks′)

noun pl. -·lanx′es, pha·lan·gesfə lanjēz′

  1. an ancient military formation of infantry in close, deep ranks with shields overlapping and spears extended
  2. a massed group of individuals; compact body
  3. a group of individuals united for a common purpose
  4. the people forming a phalanstery
  5. Anat. any of the bones forming the fingers or toes

Etymology: L < Gr, line of battle, bone between fingers, orig., log < IE base *bhel-, log > balk

phalanx Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • police: A phalanx of riot police spread out in front of us, holding nozzles and gas tanks.
  • bodyguard: And no matter how large the phalanx of bodyguards you bring, Joel, we will always outnumber you.
  • finger: Management of this injury 35, XR of a Salter Harris II # of proximal phalanx of little finger.
  • man: The tuna arrive in great haste, drawn together like a phalanx of men who march in rank.
  • thumb: Loss of terminal phalanx of thumb 20 Amputation cases - lower limbs 18.

Converse of object

  • have: I no longer teach, but I have a phalanx of former pupils keen to come and help when it gets busy here!
  • need: The march was cut short and needed a huge police phalanx to get it through the eerily deserted streets of Lewisham.

Adjective modifier

  • proximal: Management of this injury 35, XR of a Salter Harris II # of proximal phalanx of little finger.
  • distal: Release of the FDL tendon from the distal phalanx may produce a marginal improvement in results.
  • middle: These x-ray views also reveal rare condylar fractures of the middle phalanx.
  • solid: All the time the dance and chant are kept up, the solid phalanx facing toward the enemy.
  • whole: On the other side of the hill, Hippocrates arranged his whole phalanx 8 deep, with the cavalry split on each wing.
  • third: The astragalus was whole but only 10 % remained of the vertebrae and of the third phalanx.

Noun used with modifier

  • police: The march was cut short and needed a huge police phalanx to get it through the eerily deserted streets of Lewisham.
  • hand: Examples of these conditions are fractures of the distal radius, hand phalanxes, tibial diaphysis, proximal femur and proximal humerus.