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

The brewing dispute centers on the 40-home Hidden Valley Ranch development currently being carved into a series of hillsides on Poway’s northern end near the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve. —Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026

He was supposed to be a legend carved in marble. —Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026

Dell carved out a niche for herself with her one-of-a-kind VÈVÈ creations featuring vivid color beads, cloths and even sisal rooted in the Vodou culture. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026

While other Coachella performers like Katseye and Lucky Brand collaborator Addison Rae have each carved out distinct aesthetic identities, festivalgoers are drawing less direct inspiration from performers’ styles, instead embracing a more individual and self-directed approach to dressing. —Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 3 Apr. 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