鑿 (záo) - Chisel — a tool for cutting or shaping & to chisel, to carve, to bore

鑿Tone 2

záo ｜ 28 strokes ｜ radical:

悦丈

鑿 · záo

Chisel — a tool for cutting or shaping hard materials;

to chisel, to carve, to bore;

certain, irrefutable.

Chisel — a tool for cutting or shapingto chisel, to carve, to borecertain, irrefutable.

Usage highlights

ChiselTo chisel a holeTo chisel a wellConclusive evidenceTo carve and chiselTo bore a tunnel

Synonyms

  • 雕— to carve, to engrave
  • 刻— to carve, to engrave
  • 钻— to drill, to bore

Antonyms

  • 填— to fill, to stuff
  • 补— to patch, to mend

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The carpenter used a chisel (凿子) to shape the wood.
  • They had to chisel through the rock (凿穿岩石).
  • This is an irrefutable fact (确凿的事实).
  • The evidence is conclusive (证据确凿).

Collocations

  • Chisel(凿子)
  • To chisel a hole(凿孔)
  • To chisel a well(凿井)
  • Conclusive evidence(确凿的证据)
  • To carve and chisel(雕凿)
  • To bore a tunnel(凿隧道)

Idioms

  • To bore a wall to steal light(凿壁偷光)
  • To square the mortise for the round tenon(凿圆枘方)
  • To force a square peg into a round hole(方枘圆凿)
  • To speak with certainty and authority(言之凿凿)
  • To chisel through and see clearly(凿凿可据)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character appears in the idiom 凿壁偷光, describing a poor scholar who bored a hole in his wall to borrow light from his neighbor to study, symbolizing diligence and determination in learning.
  • In ancient China,凿 referred to manual labor tools used in construction, mining, and woodworking, representing craftsmanship and hard work.
  • The character's meaning extends metaphorically to indicate certainty and irrefutability, as in 确凿 (conclusive, irrefutable).

FAQ