The word 琢磨 is formed through the metaphorical combination of two distinct yet related concrete actions from traditional craftsmanship: 琢 (zhuó), meaning to carve and chisel jade, and 磨 (mó), meaning to grind and polish stone. Together, they create a vivid compound where the meticulous, iterative physical process of refining a rough material into a finished object is abstracted to describe the mental process of turning over a thought, refining an idea, or pondering something deeply and carefully.