carve
carve — verb
1. to use a sharp tool such as a knife or chisel to make a shape, pattern, or objec
to use a sharp tool such as a knife or chisel to make a shape, pattern, or object by removing material from a firm substance like wood, stone, or bone.
Priya spent the afternoon carving a small elephant out of pine wood.
carve + object + out of + material
The artisan carved intricate flowers along the edge of the old oak door.
carve + object + prepositional phrase of location
Ancient symbols were carved into the stone walls of the temple by the villagers.
To carve a small figurine from marble, you need steady hands and patience.
文法句型
carve + object (material or shape)
carve + into/from/out of + material
用法筆記
Frequently used with prepositions showing the source material: 'carve from/out of' (material) or 'carve into' (surface). The object can be either the material itself ('carve wood') or the resulting shape ('carve a statue').
常見錯誤
2. to separate cooked meat into thin, flat portions using a long knife, typically a
to separate cooked meat into thin, flat portions using a long knife, typically at a dining table so people can take the pieces they want to eat.
Uncle Yusuf carved the roast turkey at the dinner table while everyone watched.
carve + specific meat for serving
The chef carved thin slices of lamb and placed them neatly on each plate.
carve + slices of + meat
A sharp carving knife makes it much easier to carve a whole chicken.
Grandma asked Ravi to carve the ham because his hands were the steadiest.
文法句型
carve + meat noun
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, this sense only applies to cooked meat and is almost always transitive. The object is the whole piece of meat (turkey, ham, chicken, roast), not the resulting slices.
常見錯誤
3. to achieve or create something valuable, such as a career, reputation, or role,
to achieve or create something valuable, such as a career, reputation, or role, through sustained effort and determination — for example, an artist carving a name for herself in a competitive industry.
Diego carved a successful career in journalism after years of reporting from conflict zones.
carve + a career in [field]
The young designer carved a niche for herself in sustainable fashion by using recycled materials.
carve + a niche for oneself
Through hard work, the Tanaka family carved a reputation as honest business owners.
Hana spent years carving a place in the local music scene, but she never gave up.
文法句型
carve + object (reputation/career/niche) + (for yourself)
用法筆記
No passive form exists for this sense. The object is typically an abstract noun like career, reputation, niche, name, or place. Frequently followed by 'for yourself' or 'for herself/himself' to emphasise personal effort. The sense carries a connotation of overcoming obstacles.