falange

phalanx

noun fah-LAHN-jeh Rare

Origin: From Greek phalanx (battle formation, finger bone).

Also means

finger bone

Usage Note

Falange has two main uses: anatomically, it is one of the small bones of the fingers or toes (le falangi delle dita), and historically it refers to a military phalanx or a political movement (such as Franco's Falange Española). The plural is le falangi.

Examples

"Si è rotto una falange del pollice."

Natural Translation

He broke a finger bone of his thumb.

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