carve

KAHRV/kɑɹv/KAHV/kɑːv/

Verbcarves, carving, carved

Noun pluralcarves

8 meanings of carve

Practice

1
verbtransitive
To cut cooked meat into slices or pieces so it can be served.
Like cutting a cake into slices so everyone gets a piece.
Dad will carve the turkey once everyone sits down.
She carved the roast into thick, even slices.
Similarslice, cut
2
verbtransitive
To make a shape or object by cutting away wood, stone, or other material.
Like shaping a bar of soap by cutting tiny bits away until it looks right.
He likes to carve little animals out of wood.
She carved a face into the pumpkin.
Similarsculpt, chisel, whittle, engrave
Note
3
verbfigurativelytransitive
To get or make something for yourself through hard, steady effort.
Like cutting out your own little space to belong in.
She worked for years to carve a place for herself in the company.
The settlers carved a small farm out of the wild land.
Similarforge, build, make, create
Note
4
nouncountable
A single act of cutting or shaping something.
The chef made one smooth carve through the roast.
That carve left a clean slice on the plate.
Similarcut, slice, stroke
5
verbtransitive
To plan or design something carefully.
The team will carve a plan for the new library.
Engineers carved the layout of the whole town before building began.
Similardevise, design, plan, draft
Note
6
verbintransitive
To turn smoothly on a snowboard so the board follows one clean curved line instead of sliding sideways.
Like drawing one smooth curved line in the snow instead of skidding across it.
Good riders carve down the mountain in smooth curves.
She learned to carve on her new snowboard last winter.
Note

Less common meanings

7
verbarchaic
To cut something with a blade.
The traveler drew his knife to carve the thick rope.
My good blade carves the casques of men, / My tough lance thrusteth sure, / My strength is as the strength of ten, / Because my heart is pure.
1834, Alfred Tennyson, “Sir Galahad”Here, carves means cuts through with a sharp blade.
Note
8
nounobsolete
An old unit of farmland, about as much as one team of oxen could plow in a year.
Like saying a field is as big as one team of horses could plow in a year.
The lord held three carves of farmland near the village.
Whereof John de Ditton holds a moiety of the village for half a carve of land.
1868, John Harland (editor), Wapentake of West DerbyHere, carve means an old unit of farmland, what one plow team could work yearly.
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of carve apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Old English ceorfan, meaning to cut. This goes back to an old root meaning "to scratch."