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 spine of our house was a 60-foot beam that ran the length of the basement ceiling, hand-carved from the trunk of an ancient Douglas fir. —Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 26 May 2026

Armed with his extraordinary carpentry skills and a series of lethal mechanical prosthetic arms, Jingoro carves his own path to justice. —Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 26 May 2026

Zippers ran through the front and sleeves, while black leather bands carved around the waist and hips. —Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 26 May 2026

In terms of image, the brand could carve out a niche between Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari. —Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 26 May 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