becarve

Meanings

verbbecarve (third-person singular simple present becarves, present participle becarving, simple past becarved or (archaic) becorve, past participle becarved or (archaic) becorve or (archaic) becorven)

present singular third person becarves · participle present becarving · past becarved · archaic past becorve · participle past becarved · archaic participle past becorve · archaic participle past becorven

obsoletetransitiveTo cut off.
obsoletetransitivelandTo cut up; cut open; open up.
transitiveTo cut; carve or cut up; cut in pieces; carve.

Origin

Old Englishbeċeorfan“to becarve, cut off, separate, cut or pare away, deprive a person of something by cutting, amputate, behead”
Middle Englishbekerven
Englishbecarve

From Middle English bekerven, bikeorven, from Old English beċeorfan (“to becarve, cut off, separate, cut or pare away, deprive a person of something by cutting, amputate, behead”), equivalent to be- + carve. Cognate with Old Frisian bikerva (“to amputate”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →