carve

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verb \ ˈkärv \

Definition of carve

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

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carver

noun

See carve defined for English-language learners

See carve defined for kids

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 of carve from the Web

Saturday, Sept. 2 • 5:30 p.m., KEXP Stage: Cataldo has been around the Seattle music scene for nearly a decade and is worth carving time out to see.

— ryan blethen, The Seattle Times, "Bumbershoot 2017: day-by-day highlights," 30 Aug. 2017
A room at Uruguay’s Naval Museum displays a stretcher that was used to carry injured German sailors, binoculars and a medallion carved with Adolf Hitler’s name and a swastika.

— Washington Post, "A Nazi eagle inflames a heated debate in Uruguay," 30 Aug. 2017
After playing at Wyoming, Reggie did not get drafted but carved out an eight-year career with the Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Raptors, Timberwolves, Nets and Hawks.

— teddy greenstein, chicagotribune.com, "Which Northwestern freshman are expected to play? One's the son of former NBA player," 29 Aug. 2017
Before canals carved up South Dade, sawgrass marshes that made up transverse glades allowed freshwater to flow in sheets east.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "The secret history of a hurricane hidden in Miami’s mangrove forest," 27 Aug. 2017
The specifics about why and by whom the German office fixtures were carved out aren’t publicly available.

— alastair marsh, Bloomberg.com, "Woes Deepen For Mortgage Bond Investors Who Find Stairs Missing," 25 Aug. 2017
Flinty and a little wild - for decades the area attracted toughminded folk who carved communities around mines and timberlands.

— amy yurkanin, AL.com, "Poor, rural and addicted: Drugs drive surge in white women in prison," 24 Aug. 2017
She and Lawrence shut themselves in their new bedrooms, carving out their pockets of space before Anthony came home.

— alden woods, azcentral, "$200 from home: Renters in the housing crisis are often stuck between help and affordability," 17 Aug. 2017
Use a candle inside a classic jack-o'-lantern, which can cast some truly unnerving shadows if carved and positioned properly.

— kiona smith-strickland, Popular Mechanics, "5 Scary Ways to Light Up Your Yard for Halloween," 15 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'carve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of carve

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

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carve Synonyms

Synonyms

sculpt, sculpture

Related Words

chisel, engrave, etch, grave, incise, inscribe; knap; cast, form, model, mold, shape

CARVE Defined for English Language Learners

carve

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verb

Definition of carve for English Language Learners

: to make (something, such as a sculpture or design) by cutting off pieces of the material it is made of
: to cut (something, such as a pattern or design) into a surface
: to create (something) by cutting into a surface

CARVE Defined for Kids

carve

play

verb \ ˈkärv \

Definition of carve for Students

carved; carving

1 :to cut with care

He carved a block of wood to use as a bowl.

2 :to make or get by cutting

Artists were carving ice sculptures.

3 :to slice and serve (meat)

Would you carve the turkey?

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carver

noun

Learn More about carve

See words that rhyme with carve Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for carve Spanish Central: Translation of carve Nglish: Translation of carve for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of carve for Arabic speakers

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