phalanx Definition
pha·lanx (fā′laŋks′, fal′aŋks′)
noun pl. -·lanx′es, pha·lan·gesfə lan′jēz′
- an ancient military formation of infantry in close, deep ranks with shields overlapping and spears extended
- a massed group of individuals; compact body
- a group of individuals united for a common purpose
- the people forming a phalanstery
- 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
Browse dictionary entries near phalanx
- ‹ phalanstery
- ‹ phalanges
- ‹ phalanger
- ‹ phalangeal
- ‹ phalange
- ‹ -phagy
- ‹ -phagous
- ‹ phagocytosis
- ‹ phagocytic index
- ‹ phagocyte
- phalarope ›
- phallic ›
- phallicism ›
- phallocentric ›
- phallus ›
- -phane ›
- phanerogam ›
- phanerophyte ›
- Phanerozoic ›
- phantasm ›

