(pl phalanxes)
(treated as sing. or pl) a closely massed arrangement of people, animals, or things
a body of people organized for a common purpose
the whole phalanx of professional conservatism — Lytton Strachey
(pl phalanxes) (treated as sing. or pl) a body of troops, esp those of ancient Greece, in close array behind a wall of shields
(pl phalanges/fəʹlanjeez/) any of the digital bones of the hand or foot of a vertebrate
phalangeal /-ʹjee·əl/ adj
[via Latin from Greek phalang-, phalanx battle line, digital bone]