Etymology : Middle English kerven, from Old English ceorfan; akin to Old High German kerban to notch, Greek graphein to scratch, write
Pronunciation : 'kärv
Function : verb
Date : before 12th century
1. sculpt, shape; cut, slice. carve\carve\ (k?rv), v. t. [imp. & p. p. carved (k?rvd); p. pr. & vb. n. carving.] [as. ceorfan to cut, carve; akin to d. kerven, g. kerben, dan. karve, sw. karfva, and to gr. gra`fein to write, orig. to scratch, and e. -graphy. cf. graphic.].
2. to cut. [obs.] or they will carven the shepherd's throat.
3. to cut, as wood, stone, or other material, in an artistic or decorative manner; to sculpture; to engrave. carved with figures strange and sweet.
4. to make or shape by cutting, sculpturing, or engraving; to form; as, to carve a name on a tree. an angel carved in stone. we carved not a line, and we raised not a stone. wolfe.
5. to cut into small pieces or slices, as meat at table; to divide for distribution or apportionment; to apportion. "to carve a capon.".
6. to cut: to hew; to mark as if by cutting. my good blade carved the casques of men. a million wrinkles carved his skin.
7. to take or make, as by cutting; to provide. who could easily have carved themselves their own food.
8. to lay out; to contrive; to design; to plan. lie ten nights awake carving the fashion of a new doublet.
9. To cut.
10. To cut, as wood, stone, or other material, in an artistic or decorative manner; to sculpture; to engrave.
11. To make or shape by cutting, sculpturing, or engraving; to form; as, to carve a name on a tree.
12. To cut into small pieces or slices, as meat at table; to divide for distribution or apportionment; to apportion.
13. To cut: to hew; to mark as if by cutting.
14. To take or make, as by cutting; to provide.
15. To lay out; to contrive; to design; to plan.
16. To exercise the trade of a sculptor or carver; to engrave or cut figures.
17. To cut up meat; as, to carve for all the guests.
18. A carucate. cut to pieces; "Father carved the ham" form by carving; "Carve a flower from the ice" engrave or cut by chipping away at a surface; "carve one's name into the bark".
19. 1. If you carve an object, you make it by cutting it out of a substance such as wood or stone. If you carve something such as wood or stone into an object, you make the object by cutting it out. One of the prisoners has carved a beautiful wooden chess set He carves his figures from white pine I picked up a piece of wood and started carving. carved stone figures. see also:
carving = sculpt.
20. If you carve writing or a design on an object, you cut it into the surface of the object. He carved his name on his desk The ornately carved doors were made in the seventeenth century.
21. If you carve a piece of cooked meat, you cut slices from it so that you can eat it. Andrew began to carve the chicken Carve the beef into slices.