noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
painstaking literary polishing; laborious work
A yojijukugo describing the act of refining a piece of writing with extreme care and effort, as if carving into one's heart and bones. Rare and literary; not used in everyday conversation.
彼は彫心鏤骨の末に、ようやく小説を完成させた。
After painstaking effort, he finally completed his novel.
この詩には作者の彫心鏤骨の跡が見られる。
This poem shows traces of the author's meticulous polishing.