Word
Definition
v. to cut into a hard material like wood or stone to make a shape or a pattern. You also use this word when you cut thin slices of cooked meat for a meal.
v. to cut into a solid material such as wood, stone, or ice to create a decorative object or inscription; also, to slice cooked meat into pieces for serving. Transitive or intransitive depending on whether the object of the cutting is specified.
Examples
“He likes to carve small animals out of wood.”
“The artist spent three months using a small chisel to carve the intricate statue from a single block of marble.”
“While the master chef began to carve the roast beef for the guests, the apprentice practiced how to carve delicate floral patterns into the rinds of watermelons for the centerpiece.”
Examples
simple
“He likes to carve small animals out of wood.”
contextual
“The artist spent three months using a small chisel to carve the intricate statue from a single block of marble.”
complex
“While the master chef began to carve the roast beef for the guests, the apprentice practiced how to carve delicate floral patterns into the rinds of watermelons for the centerpiece.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “carve” in context.
Verb
01. carve a niche
“The young designer managed to carve a niche for herself in the competitive world of sustainable fashion.”
verb + noun
02. carve into the wood
“The artist carefully carved into the wood to create the intricate floral patterns on the cabinet.”
verb + prep + noun
03. carve the turkey
“My grandfather always insists on carving the turkey at the head of the table during Thanksgiving dinner.”
verb + noun
Noun
04. carving knife
“Make sure the carving knife is sharp before you start slicing the roast beef.”
noun + noun
Adverb
05. deeply carve
“Years of hard labor had deeply carved lines of exhaustion into his weathered face.”
adv + verb
06. intricately carve
“The temple pillars were intricately carved with scenes from ancient mythology.”
adv + verb
Usage
The verb is transitive when followed by the material or the object created; it can be intransitive when describing the general activity.
Real-World Examples
“It was this massive cup with these beautiful ornate dogs carved on it.” “Mount recalls listening to these men “carve out” parts of Hollywood for themselves.” “The artefacts included an antler that would have been used for digging, and other carved animal bones, as well as finely decorated fragments of pottery.” Etymology
From Middle English kerven, from Old English ceorfan, from Proto-West Germanic kerban, from Proto-Germanic kerbaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ- (“to scratch”). Cognate with West Frisian kerve, Dutch kerven, Low German karven, German kerben (“to notch”); also Old Prussian gīrbin (“number”), Old Church Slavonic жрѣбии (žrěbii, “lot, tallymark”), Ancient Greek γράφειν (gráphein, “to scratch, etch”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
01. carved in stone
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/carve
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0