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

Wild plants grew along the riverbanks, including bamboo that kids would cut down and carve into knives, bows, and arrows. —Al Pacino, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024

Their hands found new places of rest and touch, the dizzy energy of their bodies carving an earthy lust in the wet layers of sand and stone. —Ruby Opalka, The Atlantic, 25 Aug. 2024

Harley knows that some of her roles were because of her famous father and has been keen to carve her own path in the industry. —Jacklyn Krol, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2024

Some suggest the judge could carve out the Chrome browser and/or the Android mobile operating system. —Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 16 Aug. 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