The word 特工 is formed by combining two meaningful characters: 特 (tè), meaning "special" or "particular", and 工 (gōng), meaning "work" or "worker". It conceptually fuses these ideas to denote a "special worker", specifically, one engaged in secret, often state-sponsored, activities like espionage or covert operations. The term doesn't describe the action but labels the person by their defining characteristic: the exceptional and clandestine nature of their duties.