carving

noun

carv·​ing ˈkär-viŋ How to pronounce carving (audio)
Synonyms of carvingnext
1
: the act or art of one who carves
2
: a carved object, design, or figure

Examples of carving in a Sentence

She bought a small wooden carving of a Buddha. an ancient people proficient in stone carving
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Learn how to make small stamps (2-inch-by3-inch) with an easy-to-carve rubber medium and lino carving tools. — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026 Last summer, archaeologists uncovered a massive Roman council hall in Laodicea, which featured carvings linked to early Christian worship. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Just Us Girls Sac features intimate events with typically no more than 30 participants, such as morning Pilates in the park, a Christmas lights walk through the Fabulous Forties in East Sacramento, a pumpkin carving day and more. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026 Pre-bids for a bust of Sanders created by his daughter reached $4,720 on July 28, while his personal carving knife set was priced at $800. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for carving

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carving was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing carving

Rhymes for carving

See All Rhymes for carving

Browse Nearby Words

carve up
carving
carving knife
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carving. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

carving

noun
carv·​ing ˈkär-viŋ How to pronounce carving (audio)
1
: the act or art of a person who carves
2
: a carved object, design, or figure

More from Merriam-Webster on carving

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for carving

Nglish: Translation of carving for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carving

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All