phalanges
[ fuh-lan-jeez ]
/ fəˈlæn dʒiz /
noun
Origin of phalanges
< Latin < Greek
phálanges
Words nearby phalanges
Definition for phalanges (2 of 3)
phalange
[ fal-uh nj, fuh-lanj, fey-lanj ]
/ ˈfæl əndʒ, fəˈlændʒ, ˈfeɪ lændʒ /
noun, plural pha·lan·ges [fuh-lan-jeez] /fəˈlæn dʒiz/. Anatomy, Zoology.
a phalanx.
Origin of phalange
First recorded in 1550–60; back formation from
phalanges
Definition for phalanges (3 of 3)
phalanx
[ fey-langks, fal-angks ]
/ ˈfeɪ læŋks, ˈfæl æŋks /
noun, plural pha·lanx·es or for 7, pha·lan·ges [fuh-lan-jeez] /fəˈlæn dʒiz/.
verb (used without object)
Printing.
to arrange the distribution of work in a shop as evenly as possible.
Origin of phalanx
1545–55; < Latin < Greek
phálanx military formation, bone of finger or toe, wooden roller
Example sentences from the Web for phalanges
British Dictionary definitions for phalanges (1 of 2)
phalange
/ (ˈfælændʒ) /
noun plural phalanges (fæˈlændʒiːz)
anatomy another name for phalanx (def. 5)
Word Origin for phalange
C16: via French, ultimately from Greek
phalanx
British Dictionary definitions for phalanges (2 of 2)
phalanx
/ (ˈfælæŋks) /
noun plural phalanxes or phalanges (fæˈlændʒiːz)
an ancient Greek and Macedonian battle formation of hoplites presenting long spears from behind a wall of overlapping shields
any closely ranked unit or mass of people
the police formed a phalanx to protect the embassy
a number of people united for a common purpose
(in Fourierism) a group of approximately 1800 persons forming a commune in which all property is collectively owned
anatomy
any of the bones of the fingers or toes
Related adjective: phalangeal
botany
- a bundle of stamens, joined together by their stalks (filaments)
- a form of vegetative spread in which the advance is on a broad front, as in the common reedCompare guerrilla
Word Origin for phalanx
C16: via Latin from Greek: infantry formation in close ranks, bone of finger or toe
Medical definitions for phalanges
phalanx
[ fā′lăngks′, făl′ăngks′ ]
n. pl. pha•lanx•es
Any of the long bones of the fingers or toes, numbering 14 for each hand or foot: two for the thumb or big toe, and three each for the other four digits.
Scientific definitions for phalanges
phalanx
[ fā′lăngks′ ]
Plural phalanges (fə-lăn′jēz)
Any of the small bones of the fingers or toes in humans or the digits of many other vertebrates.