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

Between flights and investor meetings, the executive carves out time to explain economic swings, market volatility, and tech trends, all while touting Blackstone’s global reach. —Rachel Ventresca, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026

Fleur tells the story of a New York housewife (Berry) who flees America and her husband of 30 years (Csokas) to reinvent herself in Paris as Fleur, an upscale escort and dominatrix carving out her own power and identity. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026

Another is to carve the show closer to the bone, skipping over the contextual padding and focussing on the hundred and seventy-five pieces by Raphael. —Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Authorities also launched a road safety checkpoint on Highway 80, carved out emergency lanes on main roads and closed the 14th and 16th Street parking lots in an effort to maintain order. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 20 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