array

n. [ OE. arai, arrai, OF. arrai, arrei, arroi, order, arrangement, dress, F. arroi; a (L. ad) + OF. rai, rei, roi, order, arrangement, fr. G. or Scand.; cf. Goth. raidjan, garaidjan, to arrange, MHG. gereiten, Icel. reiði rigging, harness; akin to E. ready. Cf. Ready, Greith, Curry. ] 1. Order; a regular and imposing arrangement; disposition in regular lines; hence, order of battle; as, drawn up in battle array. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wedged together in the closest array. Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The whole body of persons thus placed in order; an orderly collection; hence, a body of soldiers. [ 1913 Webster ]

A gallant array of nobles and cavaliers. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An imposing series of things. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their long array of sapphire and of gold. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Dress; garments disposed in order upon the person; rich or beautiful apparel. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Law) (a) A ranking or setting forth in order, by the proper officer, of a jury as impaneled in a cause. (b) The panel itself. (c) The whole body of jurors summoned to attend the court. [ 1913 Webster ]

To challenge the array (Law), to except to the whole panel. Cowell. Tomlins. Blount. --
Commission of array (Eng. Hist.), a commission given by the prince to officers in every county, to muster and array the inhabitants, or see them in a condition for war. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Arrayed p. pr. & vb. n. Arraying. ] [ OE. araien, arraien, fr. OE. arraier, arreier, arreer, arroier, fr. arrai. See Array, n. ] 1. To place or dispose in order, as troops for battle; to marshal. [ 1913 Webster ]

By torch and trumpet fast arrayed,
Each horseman drew his battle blade. Campbell. [ 1913 Webster ]

These doubts will be arrayed before their minds. Farrar. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To deck or dress; to adorn with dress; to cloth to envelop; -- applied esp. to dress of a splendid kind. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pharaoh . . . arrayed him in vestures of fine linen. Gen. xli.&unr_;. [ 1913 Webster ]

In gelid caves with horrid gloom arrayed. Trumbull. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) To set in order, as a jury, for the trial of a cause; that is, to call them man by man. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

To array a panel, to set forth in order the men that are impaneled. Cowell. Tomlins. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To draw up; arrange; dispose; set in order. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who arrays. In some early English statutes, applied to an officer who had care of the soldiers' armor, and who saw them duly accoutered. [ 1913 Webster ]