carve

carve — verb

1. to use a sharp tool such as a knife or chisel to make a shape, pattern, or objec

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveC2
Definition

to use a sharp tool such as a knife or chisel to make a shape, pattern, or object by removing material from a firm substance like wood, stone, or bone.

Example

Priya spent the afternoon carving a small elephant out of pine wood.

carve + object + out of + material

The artisan carved intricate flowers along the edge of the old oak door.

carve + object + prepositional phrase of location

Common collocations
  • carve wood/stone/marble/ivory
  • carve a statue/figure/design/pattern
  • carve into/from/out of
Synonyms
  • sculpt

    more specific to stone, metal, or clay; often implies shaping by adding and removing

  • engrave

    cuts lines or letters into a flat surface; shallower than carving

  • chisel

    names the tool used; suggests heavier or rougher cutting

Grammar Patterns

carve + object (material or shape)

carve + into/from/out of + material

Usage Note

Frequently used with prepositions showing the source material: 'carve from/out of' (material) or 'carve into' (surface). The object can be either the material itself ('carve wood') or the resulting shape ('carve a statue').

Common Mistakes

He carved the meat into a small wooden toy.
He carved a small wooden toy out of the piece of pine.
'carve' for woodcraft takes the finished object as direct object, not the source material.

2. to separate cooked meat into thin, flat portions using a long knife, typically a

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to separate cooked meat into thin, flat portions using a long knife, typically at a dining table so people can take the pieces they want to eat.

Example

Uncle Yusuf carved the roast turkey at the dinner table while everyone watched.

carve + specific meat for serving

The chef carved thin slices of lamb and placed them neatly on each plate.

carve + slices of + meat

Common collocations
  • carve a turkey/ham/chicken/roast/leg of lamb
  • carve at the table
  • carving knife
Synonyms
  • slice

    more general; works for bread, cake, fruit; less associated with formal meat-serving

  • cut up

    less precise; the pieces are not necessarily thin slices

Grammar Patterns

carve + meat noun

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense only applies to cooked meat and is almost always transitive. The object is the whole piece of meat (turkey, ham, chicken, roast), not the resulting slices.

Common Mistakes

She carved the raw chicken before cooking it.
She carved the roast chicken after taking it out of the oven.
This sense only applies to cooked meat prepared for serving.

3. to achieve or create something valuable, such as a career, reputation, or role,

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to achieve or create something valuable, such as a career, reputation, or role, through sustained effort and determination — for example, an artist carving a name for herself in a competitive industry.

Example

Diego carved a successful career in journalism after years of reporting from conflict zones.

carve + a career in [field]

The young designer carved a niche for herself in sustainable fashion by using recycled materials.

carve + a niche for oneself

Common collocations
  • carve a career/reputation/niche/name/place
Synonyms
  • create

    less emphatic; lacks the connotation of struggle and effort

  • forge

    similar register; emphasises shaping against resistance

  • build

    broader and more neutral; lacks the 'cutting through obstacles' imagery

Grammar Patterns

carve + object (reputation/career/niche) + (for yourself)

Usage Note

No passive form exists for this sense. The object is typically an abstract noun like career, reputation, niche, name, or place. Frequently followed by 'for yourself' or 'for herself/himself' to emphasise personal effort. The sense carries a connotation of overcoming obstacles.

Common Mistakes

He was carved a career in finance.
He carved a career for himself in finance.
This sense is never passive; use the active form with 'for himself/herself/themselves.'
Phrasal verbs

carve out

phrasal verb

(separable) to create or obtain something, such as a career, role, or position, through hard work and initiative — overlapping with sense 3 but used more broadly for any role or position achieved through effort.

Leila carved out a role for herself as the team's translator after learning three languages.

In the crowded tech market, the startup carved out a small but loyal customer base.

carve up

phrasal verb

(separable) to divide something, especially land, territory, or business, into parts, often in a way that is aggressive or unfair.

The two large companies carved up the entire market between them, leaving no room for smaller competitors.

Developers carved the farmland up into dozens of small housing lots.

Idioms

carve somebody/something up

idiom

to cut a person or thing into pieces (literal), or to divide land, territory, or a market among competitors in an aggressive or unfair way (figurative).

After the war ended, the victorious nations carved up the defeated empire among themselves.

The rival gangs carved up the neighbourhood into separate areas of control.

carved in stone

idiom

fixed and unable to be changed, especially of rules, plans, or agreements.

The deadline isn't carved in stone — we can ask for an extension if we need one.

Her decision to move abroad was not carved in stone, so her friends kept hoping she would stay.

carved/set in stone

idiom

Something that is fixed and cannot be changed.

Mina reminded us that the deadline is not set in stone.

Are the meeting times carved in stone, or can we adjust them?

Word family

  • carver
    nounC1
  • carving
    nounB2
  • carving
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe cutting or shaping a hard material, but they differ in technique and typical use. Carve is the broadest term: you can carve wood, stone, or bone to produce either a three-dimensional object or a surface pattern. Sculpt is more specialised, usually referring to creating a figure from stone, metal, or clay, and may involve both adding and removing material. Engrave is limited to cutting lines or letters into a flat surface — think of a name on a trophy or a design on a ring — and is shallower than carving. Chisel names the tool and suggests a heavier, more forceful action, like chiselling a block of stone into rough shape before finer carving. A sculptor might chisel a block of marble first, then carve the finer details, and finally engrave their signature at the base.

carve ↗sculptengrave ↗chisel

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • carve a path
  • carve a name
  • carve a reputation

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'carve' comes from Old English 'ceorfan', meaning 'to cut, cut out, engrave'. It is related to the Greek 'graphein' (to write/engrave) and the Dutch 'kerven' (to cut a notch). Its core meaning of cutting into a surface has remained stable for over a thousand years, while the figurative use for building a career emerged in the 19th century.