carve

 
Pronunciation: /kɑːv/

verb

[with object]
  • 1cut (a hard material) in order to produce an object, design, or inscription: the wood was carved with runes (as adjective carved) bookcases of carved oak
  • produce (an object, inscription, or design) by cutting into a hard material: the altar was carved from a block of solid jade I carved my initials on the tree
  • 2cut (cooked meat) into slices for eating: he stood carving the roast chicken [no object]: Cliff wouldn’t carve, so she was expected to wield the knife
  • cut (a slice of meat) from a larger piece: [with two objects]: he carved himself a slice of beef
  • 3 Skiing make (a turn) by tilting one’s skis on to their edges and using one’s weight to bend them so that they slide in an arc.

Phrases

be carved on tablets of stone

see stone

Phrasal Verbs

carve something out

  • 1take something from a larger whole, especially with difficulty: the company hopes to carve out a greater share of the $20 bn market
  • 2establish or create something through painstaking effort: he managed to carve out a successful photographic career for himself

carve someone up

informal
  • 1slash someone with a knife or other sharp object.
  • 2drive aggressively into the path of another driver while overtaking: I had to carve up a Volvo in order to follow him

carve something up

divide something ruthlessly into separate areas or parts: West Africa was carved up by the Europeans

Origin:

Old English ceorfan 'cut, carve', of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch kerven