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

The Winter Egg’s price tag was relative not to the materials it was carved from, but to the craftmanship required to transform them into snow and ice. —Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025

After the game, while his teammates carved into their Thanksgiving turkey, Burrow got emotional discussing yet another injury setback and the long road back. —Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025

Building a modern textile ecosystem For Peregrine, the next chapter will hinge on carving out an even clearer position in the menswear landscape, where appreciation for provenance and natural fibers is steadily rising. —Kirsty McGregor, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025

Choose skinless turkey, or remove the skin before carving and serving roasted turkey. —Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 27 Nov. 2025

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