carve

verb

carved; carving

transitive verb

1
: to cut with care or precision
carved fretwork
2
: to make or get by or as if by cutting
often used with out
carve out a career
3
: to cut into pieces or slices
carved the turkey

intransitive verb

1
: to cut up and serve meat
2
: to work as a sculptor or engraver
carver noun

Examples of carve in a Sentence

We carved an ice sculpture. Who is going to carve the turkey? He carved while I made the gravy.
Recent Examples on the Web After working as a session vocalist for artists like Trisha Yearwood and Shania Twain, Mandisa began to carve out a solo career after auditioning for the fifth season of American Idol in 2005. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024 But places like Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines are also trying to carve an important niche in the semiconductor supply chain. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 18 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for carve 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English kerven, from Old English ceorfan; akin to Old High German kerban to notch, Greek graphein to scratch, write

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carve was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Carve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carve. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

carve

verb
carved; carving
1
: to cut with care or exactness
2
: to cut into pieces or slices
3
: to cut up and serve meat
carver noun

More from Merriam-Webster on carve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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