穿孔 (chuān kǒng) literally combines 穿 (chuān, 'to pierce' or 'to penetrate') and 孔 (kǒng, 'hole' or 'opening'). Together, it means 'to pierce' or 'to perforate' — describing the act of creating a hole through something solid, often intentionally (e.g., for medical devices or jewelry) but also unintentionally (e.g., in tissue damage). It is commonly used in technical, medical, and industrial contexts.

In everyday speech, 穿孔 appears most frequently in health-related discussions — especially when referring to gastrointestinal perforation (e.g., stomach or intestinal wall), a serious medical emergency. It can also describe intentional piercing, like ear or nose piercing, though in casual settings people may use simpler terms like 打耳洞. The verb is transitive and typically takes a direct object (e.g., 穿孔胃壁 — 'perforate the gastric wall'). Unlike some similar verbs, 穿孔 emphasizes both penetration *and* resulting hole formation, not just surface puncture.