carve

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To make an object or shape by cutting away pieces of wood, stone, or other material.

   He carved a small bird out of wood.

2. 2
   verb

   To cut letters or designs into a hard surface.

   They carved their names into the bark of the tree.

3. 3
   verb

   To cut cooked meat into slices to serve it.

   You carve the roast and I'll serve the vegetables.

Common collocations

• carve stone Verb + noun

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *kerbaną Proto-West Germanic *kerban Old English ċeorfan Middle English kerven English carve 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”).

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