What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Phalanx vs Legion - What's the difference?

phalanx | legion |

As a proper noun phalanx

is the brand name of a radar-controlled rapid fire 20mm machine gun, the phalanx ciws (pronounced see-wiz ), deployed on us navy ships as a last line of defense against antiship cruise missiles.

As a noun legion is

legion.

phalanx

English

(Phalanx bone) (wikipedia phalanx)

Noun

(en-noun)
  • a large group of people, animals or things, compact or closely massed, or tightly knit and united in common purpose.
  • * 2007 , The Guardian, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2073710,00.html]
    • There, the Paisleyites were being held back by another phalanx of soldiers and policemen.
  • * 2007 , The Guardian, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/freedom/Story/0,,2065311,00.html]
    • The Guardian today listed a phalanx of ministers who back the bill, including Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, Tony McNulty, the policing minister, Andy Burnham, the junior health minister, Ian Pearson, the climate change minister, John Healey, the financial secretary to the Treasury, and Keith Hill, parliamentary private secretary to Tony Blair
  • One of the bones of the finger or toe.
  • 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.
  • (historical sociology) A Fourierite utopian community; a phalanstery.

    • Synonyms

    * phalange

    Hyponyms

    * (bone of the finger) distal phalanx, intermediate phalanx, proximal phalanx

    legion

    English

    (wikipedia legion)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Numerous; vast; very great in number; multitudinous.
    • Russia's labor and capital resources are woefully inadequate to overcome the state's needs and vulnerabilities, which are legion .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (military, Ancient Rome) The major unit or division of the , usually comprising 3000 to 6000 infantry soldiers and 100 to 200 cavalry troops.
  • (military, obsolete) a combined arms major military unit featuring cavalry, infantry, and artillery
  • (military) A large military or semimilitary unit trained for combat; any military force; an army, regiment; an armed, organized and assembled militia.
  • A national organization or association of former servicemen, such as the , founded in 1919.
  • A large number of people; a multitude.
  • (often plural) A great number.
    • Where one sin has entered, legions will force their way through the same breach. — John Rogers (1679-1729) Google Books
  • (dated, taxonomy) A group of orders inferior to a class; in scientific classification, a term occasionally used to express an assemblage of objects intermediate between an order and a class.

    • Synonyms

    * (large number of people) host, mass, multitude, sea, throng

    Meronyms

    * (major unit of the Roman army) cohort, maniple, century

    Coordinate terms

    * (military unit) fireteam, section, troop, squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment, brigade, division, corps, wing, army, army group * (combined arms) combat team, regimental combat team, brigade combat team

    Related terms

    * legionary * legionnaire

    Quotations

    * 1606 , *: MACDUFF. Not in the legions / Of horrid hell, can come a devil more damn'd / In evils to top Macbeth. * 1611 , *:: *::: And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion : for we are many. *:: *::: Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? * 1708 , , Cyder , Book II, Google Books *: Now we exult, by mighty ANNA's Care / Secure at home, while She to foreign Realms / Sends forth her dreadful Legions , and restrains / The Rage of Kings * 1745 , , Google Books *: What can preserve my life, or what destroy ? / An angel's arm can't snatch me from the grave; / Legions of angels can't confine me there. * 1821 , , Sardanapalus , Act IV Scene i, Books *: SAR. I fear it not; but I have felt—have seen— / A legion of the dead.

    Anagrams

    * English collective nouns ----