earthwork; earthworks
Refers to construction work involving moving or shaping earth, such as digging, filling, or grading.
The earthwork for this road is scheduled to start next month.
laborer; construction worker; navvy
Only when written 土工
A manual worker who does earthwork or general construction labor. The term can be considered sensitive or dated; modern usage often prefers 土木作業員 or similar.
My grandfather worked as a navvy on railway construction when he was young.
Standard kanji spelling for both senses; 土功 is a rare variant for the earthwork sense.
Rare variant spelling for earthwork; not used for the laborer sense.
Compound of 土 (earth) and 工 (work, worker). The spelling 土功 uses 功 (achievement, labor) as a variant for the earthwork sense.