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pha·lanx

(fālăngks′, fălăngks′)

n. pl. pha·lanx·es or pha·lan·ges (fə-lănjēz, fā-)

1. A compact or close-knit body of people: "formed a solid phalanx in defense of the Constitution and Protestant religion" (G.M. Trevelyan).

2. A formation of infantry carrying overlapping shields and long spears, developed by Philip II of Macedon and used by Alexander the Great.

3. pl. phalanges Anatomy A bone of a finger or toe. Also called phalange.

4. See phalanstery.

[Latin phalanx, phalang-, from Greek.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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