First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1array
verb ar·ray \ə-ˈrā\
: to place (a group of things) in a particular position so that they are in order or so that they look attractive
: to dress (someone, especially yourself) in fine clothing
: to put (soldiers) in a place or position so that they are ready to attack
Full Definition of ARRAY
transitive verb
1
: to dress or decorate especially in splendid or impressive attire : adorn <he had already arrayed himself in his best clothes — Thomas Hardy>
2
3
: to arrange or display in or as if in an array <the … data are arrayed in descending order — Ed Burnett>
— ar·ray·er noun
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Origin of ARRAY
Middle English, from Anglo-French arraier, from Vulgar Latin *arredare, from Latin ad- + a base of Germanic origin; akin to Gothic garaiths arranged — more at ready
Related to ARRAY
Other Clothing Terms
Rhymes with ARRAY
abbé, affray, agley, airplay, airway, aisleway, all-day, allay, allée, Angers, Anhui, archway, ashtray, assay, astray, Augier, away, aweigh, backstay, ballet, base pay, bat ray, beignet, belay, beltway, benday, beret, betray, bewray, bidet, bikeway, birthday, Biscay, Bizet, blasé, bobstay, Bombay, Bossuet, bouchée, bouclé, boule, bouquet, Bourget, bourrée, breezeway, Bouvet, Broadway, buffet, byplay, byway, cachet, café, cahier, Cambay, Cathay, causeway, chaîné, chalet, chambray, chassé, child's play, ciré, cliché, congé, convey, co-pay, Corday, corvée, coudé, coupé, crawlway, crochet, croquet, crossway, cube, curé, cy pres, DA, daresay, D-day, death ray, decay, deejay, defray, delay, dengue, dismay, display, distrait, DJ, donnée, doomsday, doorway, dossier, downplay, dragée, driveway, duvet, Earl Grey, embay, épée, essay, estray, Ewe, fair play, fairway, Feuillet, field day, filé, filet, fillet, fireclay, fishway, flambé, flight pay, floodway, flyway, folkway, footway, foray, force play, forebay, foreplay, forestay, formée, forte, fouetté, foul play, Fouquet, four-way, fourchée, foyer, franglais, frappé, freeway, Friday, frieze, fumet, gainsay, Galway, gamay, gangway, gateway, gelée, give way, glacé, godet, gourmet, Green Bay, greenway, guideway, gunplay, hair spray, halfway, hallway, Hannay, harm's way, hatchway, headway, hearsay, Hebei, Hefei, heyday, highway, hold sway, homestay, hooray, horseplay, Hubei, in play, in re, inlay, inveigh, Islay, issei, jackstay, James Bay, jennet, jeté, Jetway, Jolliet, keyway, Kobe, koine, kouprey, lamé, laneway, lay day, leeway, lifeway, Lomé, Lord's day, lwei, lycée, M-day, maguey, mainstay, make hay, Malay, malgré, man-day, Mande, Manet, manqué, margay, massé, match play, maté, May Day, Medway, melee, meze, midday, midway, Midway, Millay, Millet, mislay, misplay, moiré, Monday, Monet, Mornay, name day, Niamey, nisei, noonday, Norway, nosegay, obey, OK, olé, ombré, one-way, osprey, Otway, outlay, outré, outstay, outweigh, oyez, PA, parfait, parkway, parlay, parquet, partway, passé, pâté, pathway, pavé, payday, pearl gray, per se, pince-nez, pipe clay, piqué, piquet, pith ray, PK, plié, plissé, pommée, Pompeii, portray, prepay, projet, pulque, puree, purvey, quale, Quesnay, raceway, Rahway, railway, rappee, red bay, relay, repay, replay, risqué, roadway, Roget, role-play, ropeway, rosé, rosebay, Roubaix, roué, routeway, runway, sachet, saint's day, Salé, sansei, sashay, sauté, screenplay, scrub jay, seaway, Shark Bay, shar-pei, shipway, short-day, sick bay, sick day, sick pay, sideway, skyway, slideway, slipway, sluiceway, soigné, soiree, someday, someway, soothsay, soufflé, speedway, spillway, squeeze play, stairway, sternway, stingray, straightway, strathspey, stroke play, subway, Sunday, survey, sweet bay, swordplay, tea tray, tempeh, thoughtway, thruway, Thursday, tideway, today, Tokay, tollway, Torbay, touché, toupee, trackway, tramway, Tuesday, Twelfth Day, two-way, unlay, unsay, valet, V-day, veejay, vide, visé, Vouvray, walkway, waylay, Wednesday, weekday, white way, windway, wood ray, wordplay, workday
2array
noun
: a large group or number of things
: a group of numbers, symbols, etc., that are arranged in rows and columns
: a way of organizing pieces of information in the memory of a computer so that similar kinds of information are together
Full Definition of ARRAY
1
a : a regular and imposing grouping or arrangement : order <lined up … in soldierly array — Donald Barthelme> b : an orderly listing of jurors impaneled
3
: a body of soldiers : militia <the baron and his feudal array>
4
: an imposing group : large number <faced a whole array of problems>; also : variety, assortment <a broad array of styles>
5
a (1) : a number of mathematical elements arranged in rows and columns (2) : a data structure in which similar elements of data are arranged in a table b : a series of statistical data arranged in classes in order of magnitude
6
: a group of elements forming a complete unit <an antenna array>
See array defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of ARRAY
14th century
Related to ARRAY
Other Clothing Terms
ARRAYED Defined for Kids
1array
verb ar·ray \ə-ˈrā\
ar·rayedar·ray·ing
Definition of ARRAY for Kids
1
: to place in order <Soldiers arrayed themselves for review.> <The table was arrayed with all sorts of delicacies.>
2
: to dress especially in fine or beautiful clothing <He was arrayed like a prince.>
2array
noun
Definition of ARRAY for Kids
1
: an impressive group <You can choose from an array of colors.>
2
: a group of persons (as soldiers) in a certain order
3
: fine or beautiful clothing <They were dressed in magnificent array.>
4
: regular order or arrangement
5
: a group of mathematical elements (as numbers or letters) arranged in rows and columns
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