phalanx
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.
Other meanings
A large group of people, animals or things, compact or closely massed, or tightly knit and united in common purpose.
A Fourierite utopian community; a phalanstery.
Word history
From Ancient Greek "φάλαγξ" (battle order; array).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “phalanx” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.