v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Carved p. pr. & vb. n. Carving. ] [ AS. ceorfan to cut, carve; akin to D. kerven, G. kerben, Dan. karve, Sw. karfva, and to Gr. gra`fein to write, orig. to scratch, and E. -graphy. Cf. Graphic. ] 1. To cut. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Or they will carven the shepherd's throat. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cut, as wood, stone, or other material, in an artistic or decorative manner; to sculpture; to engrave. [ 1913 Webster ]

Carved with figures strange and sweet. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To make or shape by cutting, sculpturing, or engraving; to form; as, to carve a name on a tree. [ 1913 Webster ]

An angel carved in stone. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

We carved not a line, and we raised not a stone. C. Wolfe. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To cut: to hew; to mark as if by cutting. [ 1913 Webster ]

My good blade carved the casques of men. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

A million wrinkles carved his skin. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To take or make, as by cutting; to provide. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who could easily have carved themselves their own food. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To lay out; to contrive; to design; to plan. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lie ten nights awake carving the fashion of a new doublet. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fortunes were carved out of the property of the crown. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To exercise the trade of a sculptor or carver; to engrave or cut figures. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cut up meat; as, to carve for all the guests. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A carucate. [ Obs. ] Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. formed by carving or having a design carved into the surface. [ Narrower terms: sliced ]
Syn. -- carven. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ Contr. fr. caravel. ] 1. Same as Caravel. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A species of jellyfish; sea blubber. Sir T. Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Shipbuilding) Having the planks meet flush at the seams, instead of lapping as in a clinker-built vessel. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Wrought by carving; ornamented by carvings; carved. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A carven bowl well wrought of beechen tree. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

The carven cedarn doors. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

A screen of carven ivory. Mrs. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. carvi caraway. ] An oily substance, C10H16, extracted from oil caraway. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who carves; one who shapes or fashions by carving, or as by carving; esp. one who carves decorative forms, architectural adornments, etc. “The carver's chisel.” Dodsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

The carver of his fortunes. Sharp (Richardson's Dict. ) [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who carves or divides meat at table. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A large knife for carving. [ 1913 Webster ]