Serried

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Arranged in close or tight rows with minimal gaps between elements
2. Positioned in dense, shoulder-to-shoulder formation without space separating individual units
3. Placed closely together in lines or groups, leaving very little room between each item ; arranged side by side with minimal distance separating them

Etymology: "Serried" is a past participle, so it is the form of "serry," which was borrowed from French "serrer," meaning "to tighten" or "to press closely." The French verb goes back through Old French to Vulgar Latin "serrare," meaning "to close" or "shut," a word built on Late Latin "serare," "to fasten, bolt," which came from Latin "sera," "a bar or bolt" used to secure a door. The idea running through the word is therefore physical fastening: a bolt slides across to hold things shut, and things held tightly together end up packed close. Latin "serere," "to join or bind together," is related, and Spanish "cerrar," meaning "to shut," shows the same root still doing the same job. English took the French form and turned it into a participle used to describe ranks of soldiers, trees, or anything else standing shoulder to shoulder.

Synonyms: packed, crowded

Antonyms: scattered, dispersed