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

• sculpt
• sculpture

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

People of all ages dress up in scary costumes, carve jack-o’-lanterns, go trick-or-treating, and regale each other with spooky stories. —Matt Ralphs, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2024

Election Day is less than a month away, and as the big day approaches, many Arizonans are carving out time in their calendars to vote. —Zach Bradshaw, The Arizona Republic, 10 Oct. 2024

Central Florida is bracing for Milton to make landfall in the coming hours, not even two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit the Big Bend region and then carved a path of destruction through the Southeast. —Adam Carlson, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024

Still, the analyst notes that even cases where an administration cuts defense spending, stocks can still carve out gains. —Brian Evans, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2024

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

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