Category:Carve

Carve, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Carved; p. pr. & vb. n. Carving.] Etym: [AS. ceorfan to cut, carve; akin to D. kerven, G. kerben, Dan. karve, Sw. karfva, and to Gr. -graphy. Cf. Graphic.]

1. To cut. [Obs.] Or they will carven the shepherd's throat. Spenser.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. To cut into small pieces or slices, as meat at table; to divide for distribution or apportionment; to apportion. "To carve a capon." Shak.

5. 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.

6. To take or make, as by cutting; to provide. Who could easily have carved themselves their own food. South.

7. 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.

carve Carve, v. i.

1. To exercise the trade of a sculptor or carver; to engrave or cut figures.

2. To cut up meat; as, to carve for all the guests.

carve Carve, n.

Defn: A carucate. [Obs.] Burrill.

- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Carve - The arts of engraving and carving were much practised among the Jews. They were practised in connection with the construction of the tabernacle and the temple (Exodus 31:2, Exodus 31:5; Exodus 35:33; 1 Kings 6:18, 1 Kings 6:35; Psalms 74:6), as well as in the ornamentation of the priestly dresses (Ex. 28:9-36; Zechariah 3:9; 2 Chronicles 2:7, 2 Chronicles 2:14). Isaiah (Isaiah 44:13) gives a minute description of the process of carying idols of wood.