military signal bell; camp gong
Historical term for a bell or gong used in military camps to signal soldiers, such as for assembly, attack, or retreat.
When the camp bell rang, the soldiers quickly assembled.
Standard kanji spelling using 鐘 (bell).
Variant using 鉦 (gong/small bell); less common.
Compound of 陣 (camp, battle formation) and 鐘 (bell) or 鉦 (gong). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word refers to a signaling instrument used in pre-modern Japanese warfare.