Word Direct Answers

What does "carve" mean?

Carve: To cut, as wood, stone, or other material, in an artistic or decorative manner; to sculpture; to engrave. Carved with figures strange and sweet. Coleridge.

Additional senses

  1. 2.To make or shape by cutting, sculpturing, or engraving; to form; as, to carve a name on a tree. An angel carved in stone. Tennyson. We carved not a line, and we raised not a stone. C. Wolfe.
  2. 3.To cut into small pieces or slices, as meat at table; to divide for distribution or apportionment; to apportion. "To carve a capon." Shak.
  3. 4.To cut: to hew; to mark as if by cutting. My good blade carved the casques of men. Tennyson. A million wrinkles carved his skin. Tennyson.
  4. 5.To take or make, as by cutting; to provide. Who could easily have carved themselves their own food. South.
  5. 6.To lay out; to contrive; to design; to plan. Lie ten nights awake carving the fashion of a new doublet. Shak. To carve out, to make or get by cutting, or as if by cutting; to cut out. "[Macbeth] with his brandished steel . . . carved out his passage." Shak. Fortunes were carved out of the property of the crown. Macaulay.
  6. 7.To exercise the trade of a sculptor or carver; to engrave or cut figures.
  7. 8.To cut up meat; as, to carve for all the guests.
  8. 9.A carucate. [Obs.] Burrill.

Sources