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方阵 (fāng zhèn) — (military) square formation, hollow square; (mathematics) square matrix

Definition

One word for two unrelated senses: a military square formation (soldiers, parade phalanx) and a mathematics square matrix (n×n array). Context — 军队 vs 代数 — tells you which is meant.

noun
(military) square formationhollow square(mathematics) square matrix
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，方阵。
    Zài gǔ dài zhàn chǎng shàng, shì bīng men jīng cháng zǔ chéng fāng zhèn jìn xíng zuò zhàn.
    On ancient battlefields, soldiers often formed into a square phalanx to fight.
  • 方阵。
    Zhè dào dài shù tí yāo qiú wǒ men jì suàn yí gè sān jiē fāng zhèn de háng liè shì.
    This algebra problem requires us to calculate the determinant of a third-order square matrix.
  • ，方阵。
    Guó qìng yuè bīng shì shàng, lù jūn fāng zhèn yǐ zhěng qí de bù fá tōng guò tiān ān mén.
    During the National Day military parade, the army's square formation passed through Tiananmen with orderly steps.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

方fāngsquare
阵zhènformation

A 方 shape joined to 阵 formation gives a square arrangement or matrix.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 方 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陣; 阵 is its simplified writing.

  • 東東dōngsack?
  • 東東dōng
  • 攴攴pū

In the traditional form 陣, a left-side part was added to a shortened 東; the older shape also used 攴. The simplified 阵 is a later shorthand.

Open 阵 →
Appears in
MathMilitary & Defense

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