carve-out









carve-out


verb (used with object), carved, carv·ing.

  1. to cut (a solid material) so as to form something: to carve a piece of pine.
  2. to form from a solid material by cutting: to carve a statue out of stone.
  3. to cut into slices or pieces, as a roast of meat.
  4. to decorate with designs or figures cut on the surface: The top of the box was beautifully carved with figures of lions and unicorns.
  5. to cut (a design, figures, etc.) on a surface: Figures of lions and unicorns were carved on the top of the box.
  6. to make or create for oneself (often followed by out): He carved out a career in business.

verb (used without object), carved, carv·ing.

  1. to carve figures, designs, etc.
  2. to cut meat.

verb

  1. (tr) to cut or chip in order to form somethingto carve wood
  2. to decorate or form (something) by cutting or chippingto carve statues
  3. to slice (meat) into piecesto carve a turkey
v.

Old English ceorfan (class III strong verb; past tense cearf, past participle corfen) “to cut, cut down, slay; to carve, cut out, engrave,” from West Germanic *kerfan (cf. Old Frisian kerva, Middle Dutch and Dutch kerven, German kerben “to cut, notch”), from PIE root *gerbh- “to scratch,” making carve the English cognate of Greek graphein “to write,” originally “to scratch” on clay tablets with a stylus.

Once extensively used, most senses now usurped by cut (v.). Meaning specialized to sculpture, meat, etc., by 16c. Related: Carved; carving. Original strong conjugation has been abandoned, but archaic carven lingers.

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