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

This illustration provided by researchers depicts a person carving an osteoderm from a giant sloth in Brazil about 25,000 to 27,000 years ago. —CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024

The north end of the range, where Copper World is proposed, is already packed with dozens of drill pads and connecting roads — white lines and patches carved out of the brown slopes — where Hudbay has extracted cores to prove the potential value of its prospect. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024

But Tyme’s unique positioning as a bank that marries inclusion with innovation could carve out a niche even in this environment. —Zennon Kapron, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

So in addition to your programming for kids, Disney has carved out a strong niche with adult animation since the Fox merger. —Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Dec. 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