凿空

Traditional form:

鑿空

Pinyin (reading):

záokōng

Definitions:

• to open an aperture
• (extended meaning) to cut a way through
• to open up a road

Characters:

• 凿 - chisel; to bore, to pierce
• 空 - hollow, empty, deserted, bare

Traditional characters:

• 鑿 - chisel; to bore, to pierce
• 空 - hollow, empty, deserted, bare