syntagmatarchy

Meanings

1. A square formation of 256 soldiers arranged into sixteen files, sixteen ranks deep, led by a syntagmatarch; a syntagma.

Etymology

First attested in 1670–1 and then once per century since; from the Latin syntagmatarchia, from the Ancient Greek συνταγματαρχία (suntagmatarkhía), from σύνταγμα (súntagma), whence the English syntagma.