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

Taking care of their own Across Hill Country, the floodwaters carved different paths of destruction. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Infanta Sofia, Leonor’s younger sister, is carving out a fashion following of her own. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 19 July 2026

The boutique advisory firms that emerged in their wake — Evercore, Lazard, Centerview, PJT — carved out strong advisory franchises but deliberately shed their balance sheets; their pitch to clients is independence, not capital. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 July 2026

Sarah’s partner Elijah, Karissa and I continued up into the mountains, scrambling over loose rocks to get closer to a gully carved into the side of a mountain towering behind the pools. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 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