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

Oak beams and panelling; walnut cabinetry and panelling; vaulted window seats and a four-poster said to be the first to have been carved in Kabul more than 100 years ago, conspire to create a completely different look. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026

Somewhere in time, a child is climbing up a hollow carved out between two hills. —Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026

The memorial is made up of a garden with 50 granite steps leading to a massive tablet carved with a portion of his inauguration address from 1961. —Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026

The centerpiece is the massive ice sculptures built specifically for the event — full-scale buildings, castles and figures carved from blocks of ice harvested from the Songhua River. —Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 2 June 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