carve

verb

ˈkärv 

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

Synonyms of carve

• sculpt

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

In the decades since, lawmakers have carved out multiple loopholes, so a dollar earned from owning a business is routinely taxed much less than a dollar earned in wages. — Eric Zwick, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026

Related Articles Choosing the 50 works to sell was not simply a matter of carving off a portion of the collection. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 14 Sep. 2026

While promoting his new show Brothers, McConaughey managed to carve out some spon-con time for his tequila, Pantalones. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

That means trying to stop Sooners quarterback John Mateer, who carved through the Michigan defense in a 24-13 Oklahoma win in Norman in 2025 and will aim to do the same in Ann Arbor this weekend. — Christian Romo, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing carve

• carve up

Rhymes for carve

• starve

Kids Definition

carve

verb

ˈkärv 

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