The Chinese word **雕刻** (diāokè), meaning "to carve" or "engrave," is a compound formed by combining two semantically related characters: **雕** (diāo), which originally referred to a type of raptor (eagle) but by extension came to mean "to carve" (evoking the image of precise, intricate work, as with a bird's beak or sharp tool), and **刻** (kè), which means "to cut," "to engrave," or "a moment" (with its core meaning rooted in incising marks into a surface). Together, they form a **synonymous compound**, where both characters reinforce and refine the same core concept of cutting into a material—such as wood, stone, or jade—to create a durable, artistic, or inscribed design, with **雕** often implying more artistic, three-dimensional carving and **刻** suggesting finer line engraving or inscription.