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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

3 entries under this word

Array

Ar-rāy',, n.

noun

n. [O. Fr. arrai, arrei, arroi, order, arrangement, dress; Pr. arrei, Sp. arreo, Pg. arreio, It. arredo, from ad and O. Fr. rai, rei, roi, order, arrangement, from Goth. radijan, garraijan, to arrange, prepare, A-S. gerædian, M. H. Ger. gereiten, A-S. geræde, trappings.]

  1. Order; disposition in regular lines; hence, a posture for fighting; as, drawn up in battle array. “Wedged together in the closest array.” Gibbon.
  2. The whole body of persons thus placed in order; an orderly collection.

A gallant array of nobles and cavaliers. Prescott.

  1. Dress; garments disposed in order upon the person; raiment. Dryden.
  2. (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.

To challenge the array (Law.), to except to the whole panel. Coke. Tomlin. 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.

Ar-rāy’, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. ARRAYED; p. pr. & vb. n. ARRAYING.] [O. Fr. arraier, arreier, arreer, arroier, Sp. arrear, Pg. arreiar, Pr. aredar, arrezar, It. arredare. See supra.] 1. To place or dispose in order, as troops for battle. By torch and trumpet fast arrayed, Each horseman drew his battle-blade. Campbell. 2. To deck or dress; to adorn with dress; to clothe; to envelop;—applied especially to dress of a splendid kind. Pharaoh arrayed him in fine linen. Gen. xli. 42. In gelid caves with horrid gloom arrayed. Trumbull. 3. (Law.) To set in order, as a jury, for the trial of a cause; that is, to call them man by man. Blackstone. Cowell. To array a panel, to set forth the men impaneled, one by another. Cowell. Tomlins. Syn.—To draw up; arrange; dispose; set in order.

Ar-rāy', v. t.

verbtransitive

[Cf. HARRY.] To harass; to frighten; to terrify. [Very rare.]

I would gladly know who has dared to array the poor knave thus. W. Scott.