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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Parks and Rec public service manager Clare Cloyd said residents for years have asked the department to carve out a space for dogs. Safiya Mohamed, Twin Cities, 7 July 2025 The best way to address this is to carve out a seller not equal to the total potential earnout that is subject to adjustment if the target is not met. Richard Parker, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025 Any exceptions lawmakers want to carve out must be backed by a strong state interest that increases protections for minors. Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 4 July 2025 Some of the second-year prospects in attendance were fighting to carve out a spot on the Panthers’ actual roster this week. Cameron Priester, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2025 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 10 Jul. 2025.

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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