the serried ranks of reporters waiting outsideserriedser‧ried /ˈserid/ adjective [no comparative, usually before noun] literary 
the serried ranks of reporters waiting outside
WORD ORIGINserried
Origin:
1600-1700 serry ‘to press close together’ (16-19 centuries), from French serrer, from Late Latin serare ‘to lock’EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- As the waters recede, their spawning tunnels can be seen in serried rows in the flood bank.
- At least a hundred thousand people surrounded the cathedral where the chiefs in all their finery were massed in serried ranks.
- Dexter stood at the back of the conference suite behind the video cameras and serried ranks of reporters.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY the serried ranks of reporters waiting outside
standing or arranged closely together in rows: the serried ranks of reporters waiting outside the serried ranks of reporters waiting outside