phalanx
/ˈfælæŋks/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.85 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An ancient Greek and Macedonian military unit that consisted of several ranks and files (lines) of soldiers in close array with joined shields and long spears.
noun
A large group of people, animals or things, compact or closely massed, or tightly knit and united in common purpose.
noun
noun
One of the bones of the finger or toe.
noun
A bundle of stamens, in diadelphous and polyadelphous flowers.
name
The brand name of a radar-controlled rapid fire 20mm Gatling-type machine gun, the Phalanx CIWS (pronounced see-wiz), deployed on U.S. Navy ships as a last line of defense against antiship cruise missiles.
Example Sentences
- "The monarch hath gone, but his rocky throne Still rests on its frowning base; Its motionless guards rise in phalanx lone, And nought save the winds through their helmets that moan, And none but those bosoms and hearts of stone Sigh o'er a fallen race."
- "But there was no man to greet them in the market-place, and no woman's face appeared at the windows - only a bodiless voice went before them, calling: "Fallen is Imperial Kôr! - fallen! - fallen! fallen!" On, right through the city, marched those gleaming phalanxes, and the rattle of their bony tread echoed through the silent air as they pressed grimly on."
- "From Courbevoie to the Hôtel des Invalides, one walked through a hedge of elaborate decorations—of bees, eagles, crowns, N’s; of bucklers, banners, and wreaths bearing the names of famous victories; of urns blazing with incense; of rostral columns; masts bearing trophies of arms and clusters of flags; flaming tripods; allegorical statues; triumphal arches; great banks of seats draped in imperial purple and packed with spectators, and phalanges of soldiers."
- "Broad phalanx of cars across the bridge moving slowly through the streaming snow."
- "The Guardian today listed a phalanx of ministers who back the bill, including Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, Tony McNulty, the policing minister, Andy Burnham, the junior health minister, Ian Pearson, the climate change minister, John Healey, the financial secretary to the Treasury, and Keith Hill, parliamentary private secretary to Tony Blair."
- "There, the Paisleyites were being held back by another phalanx of soldiers and policemen."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: φάλαγξ
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈfælæŋks/
- British English: /ˈfælæŋks/
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Military.