carve

verb

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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
This experience was captured at Graystone Quarry in Franklin, Tennessee, a venue literally carved out of a stone. Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 22 Oct. 2024 Budweiser hit the tracks in the late ‘70s and proceeded to carve out a place in the NASCAR history books, becoming the fifth most winning sponsor in the sport. Greg Engle, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Like McCain, scoring contributions off the bench could see Dillingham carve out an important role as the season wears on. Johannes Sasay-Wada, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024 Tech companies, eager to carve out a piece of a market that could top $6.8 trillion in spending by the decade’s end, argue that their generative AI tools can help. Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for carve 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of carve was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Carve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carve. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

carve

verb
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

More from Merriam-Webster on carve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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