1. [v]  cut to pieces; "Father carved the ham"
2. [v]  form by carving; "Carve a flower from the ice"
3. [v]  engrave or cut by chipping away at a surface; "carve one's name into the bark"

1. \Carve\, 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. ? to write, orig.
   to scatch, and E. -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.
   

2. \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.
   

3. \Carve\, n.
   A carucate. [Obs.] --Burrill.
   

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 (Ex. 31:2, 5; 35:33; 1 Kings 6:18, 35; Ps. 74:6), as well as in the ornamentation of the priestly dresses (Ex. 28:9-36; Zech. 3:9; 2 Chr. 2:7, 14). Isaiah (44:13-17) gives a minute description of the process of carving idols of wood.