carve
Americanverb (used with object)
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carves,
present (3rd person singular)
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carved,
past participle, past
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carving
present participle
-
to cut (a solid material) so as to form something.
to carve a piece of pine.
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to form from a solid material by cutting.
to carve a statue out of stone.
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to cut into slices or pieces, as a roast of meat.
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to decorate with designs or figures cut on the surface.
The top of the box was beautifully carved with figures of lions and unicorns.
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to cut (a design, figures, etc.) on a surface.
Figures of lions and unicorns were carved on the top of the box.
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to make or create for oneself (often followed byout ).
He carved out a career in business.
verb (used without object)
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carves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
carved,
past participle, past
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carving
present participle
-
to carve figures, designs, etc.
-
to cut meat.
verb
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(tr) to cut or chip in order to form something
to carve wood
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to decorate or form (something) by cutting or chipping
to carve statues
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to slice (meat) into pieces
to carve a turkey
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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carvernoun
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recarveverb
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undercarveverb (used with object)
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semicarvedadjective
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uncarvedadjective
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well-carvedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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carvesimple
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carvessimple
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have carvedperfect
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has carvedperfect
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am carvingprogressive
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are carvingprogressive
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is carvingprogressive
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have been carvingperfect progressive
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has been carvingperfect progressive
Past
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carvedsimple
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had carvedperfect
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was carvingprogressive
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were carvingprogressive
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had been carvingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of carve
before 1000; Middle English kerven, Old English ceorfan to cut; cognate with Middle Low German kerven, German kerben, Greek gráphein to mark, write; see graph
Explanation
When you cut a design into a piece of wood or marble, you carve it. Headstone engravers carve people's names and the dates of their births and deaths into gravestones. You might carve your initials into the tree in your backyard, or carve a walking stick out of a large branch. Some artists work by carving shapes from clay or granite, and a chef learns to carve, or precisely cut up, large cuts of meat and poultry. The Old English root word is ceorfan, "to cut, slay, carve, or engrave."
Vocabulary lists containing carve
On a Pedestal: Marble-ous Words for Sculpture
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Secret Water"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Indian Summer Sun" and "Almost Evenly Divided"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Celtic take a huge step towards the Champions League as two stunning Camilo Duran strikes help carve out a commanding first-leg play-off lead against LASK.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The CPI and PPI might not carve a Fed rate hike in stone, but they could be the biggest building blocks.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
The United States alarmed its tropical island territories earlier this year, detailing plans to carve up parts of the Pacific Ocean for mining exploration.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
As the religion grew, travelers passing through Dunhuang started to carve caves into the nearby rock as places to pause and meditate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The creature rears back and throws its head against the field one final time, using its pointed top to carve holes through the energy shield.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
A real plan carves out a protected reserve for that upfront, so the late-life risk is handled and the earlier spending is guilt-free.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
And it is proving wildly lucrative as Pomerantz carves out a niche in a crowded creator economy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
As development elsewhere carves up habitat, Fales said, the public and private lands his cattle graze are increasingly shared by elk, bears, mountain lions and other species.
From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025
The agreement also carves Disney a strong presence on YouTube TV as well as the main YouTube app, the companies said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2025
A master engraver expertly carves his designs onto a polished copper plate using an engraving tool called a burin.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
The glacially carved landscape around this town on the South Island inspires myriad adventures, both tame and hair-raising.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Users on social media noticed the shape of the stadium engraved on the medal appeared to be carved in the wrong likeness.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
“A lot of sand has been carved away, uncovering things that haven’t seen the light of day in decades,” Yacenda said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Among the tanks, pipes, and clotheslines, each family has carved out its own space.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The way to the west was blocked by a torrent of meltwater that had carved a deep blue gully.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Scientists have uncovered evidence that an enormous ancient cliff system may have helped expose the deepest rocks of the Grand Canyon nearly a billion years before the Colorado River began carving the landscape seen today.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
While mining has temporarily stopped in Amin's village, not far from his home, in Gulak-Dara valley, dozens of diggers were carving into the mountainside.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
“When you’re carving through the crowd, you feel like Johnny Hallyday at the Parc des Princes,” said Rolland, a stage winner on the Alpe d’Huez in 2011, with a deeply French rock ’n’ roll reference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
When Antonelli rejoined, he started carving chunks out of Leclerc's lead until lap 41, when the Mercedes driver reported a problem with his car.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
I kept on carving anyway, without knowing what I was doing.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
