1.carve有两个意思,一是“切,切碎”,如切肉、切菜等,引申可指“瓜分”。二是“雕刻”,即使用刀、凿等工具细心熟练地、有目的地雕刻出图案、画像或文字。
2.carve可用作不及物动词,也可用作及物动词。用作及物动词时,可接简单宾语(可以是雕刻用的木、石; 也可以是用雕刻的对象如花朵等),也可接双宾语,其间接宾语可以转换为介词for的宾语。

carve from(v.+prep.)
用…雕刻 cut out of sth with a knife
▲carve sth from sth
He carved a doll from a block of wood.他用一块木头雕刻了一个娃娃。

carve into(v.+prep.)
雕刻成 cut into sth with a knife
▲carve sth into sth
He carved the stone into the figure of a man.他用那块石头雕成人形。

carve out(v.+adv.)
1.雕刻出… cut (sth such as a pattern) clearly out of a material as with a knife
▲carve sth ⇔ out
She bought a wooden dish with a pretty pattern carved out.她买了一个刻有漂亮图案的木盘。
He carved out a little statue from that piece of wood.他用那块木头刻出一个小小的雕像。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
The statue was carved out of marble.这尊像是大理石雕成的。
2.用辛勤的劳动创造出… make (sth) by hard work
▲carve sth ⇔ out
He carved out a name for himself in the engineering business.在土木工程业方面,他孜孜以求地为自己赢得了声誉。
The early settlers carved out a new nation from the wild uncultivated country.早期的定居者以艰苦的劳动在野蛮和不开化的国土上建立了一个崭新的国家。

carve up(v.+adv.)
▲carve sth ⇔ up
1.把(某物)切成块 divide (sth) into pieces with a knife
Ask the man in the shop to carve the meat up for you.请商店里的那个人帮你把肉切成碎块。
She carved up the meat and gave each of us a piece.她把肉切小,分给我们每人一块。
2.〈贬〉〈非正〉瓜分或划分(某物) divide (sth) or to share (sth such as money)
The thieves carved up the profit from the robbery.小偷分了抢劫的钱财。
The dark days when imperialism could carve up the world at will are gone for ever.帝国主义可以任意瓜分世界的黑暗时代一去不复返了。
◇ 常用于be ～ed结构
Europe was carved up after World War I.第一次世界大战后,欧洲被瓜分了。

用作不及物动词
▲S+～(+A)
Does he carve?他搞雕刻的吗?
We carve and paint and we enjoy what is carved and painted.我们从事雕刻和绘画,我们也欣赏雕刻和绘画作品。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
At the dinner-table,Father's job is to carve the meat.吃饭时,爸爸的活儿是切肉。
She carved the Christmas turkey.她把圣诞火鸡切成块。
It's your turn to carve the meat.该你来把肉切开了。
They carve statues.他们雕刻雕像。
She carved the wood.她雕刻木头。
He carved his name on a pen.他把他的名字刻在钢笔上。
We carved their names on the stones so that future generations should know what they had done.我们把他们的名字刻在石头上,为的是让后人知道他们的作为。
The lovers carved their names on the tree.恋人们把他们的名字刻在这棵树上。
用作双宾动词
▲S+～+pron./n.+n./pron.
He carved me a piece from a chicken.他给我切一块鸡肉。
He carved me an ornament.他给我雕刻了一个装饰品。
▲S+～+n./pron.+for n./pron.
He carved an ornament for me.他为我雕刻了一件装饰品。
He carved a name for himself.他为自己创下了名声。

carve, chisel, engrave, etch, incise, sculpture
这组词的共同意思是“雕刻”。其区别是:
1.carve指进行装饰性的雕刻,常强调其艺术性; incise常指在坚硬的物体的表面上刻上人物或文字等(如incise an epitaph刻墓志铭); engrave指在木头、石头或金属等上雕刻文字或雕刻能以点、线、空间表现的艺术图案; etch多指用酸腐蚀表面,形成线和点,构成图像; chisel常指用耐久材料雕刻人像,强调制作者的技巧或成品的艺术性; sculpture指在石头或金属上雕琢三面体的人像,尤指用坚硬物质雕琢人像,不表示“雕塑”。
2.etch用于比喻时,表示“铭刻”; engrave用于比喻时,表示“铭记”。
carve, chop, cut, hew, slash, slit
参见cut条。