阵
zhèn
disposition of troops
wave; spate; burst; spell; short period of time; classifier for events or states of short duration
hill fort (阝) + war chariot (车) = battle formation
Ancient armies lined their chariots along hillsides or earthworks to form a defensive line. From that locked, organized arrangement comes the broader sense of a wave or burst — one formation of events sweeping through, then the next.
车CartSemantic
阝MoundSemantic
外面下了一阵雨，地都湿了。
wài miàn xià le yī zhèn yǔ, dì dōu shī le。
It rained for a spell outside, and the ground is all wet.
他说完话后，屋里静了一阵才有人开口。
tā shuō wán huà hòu, wū lǐ jìng le yī zhèn cái yǒu rén kāi kǒu。
After he finished speaking, the room was quiet for a short while before anyone spoke up.