v.
Pronunciation: ' per
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form: pared ; par · ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French parer to make, prepare, pare, from Latin parare to prepare, acquire; akin to Latin parere to give birth to, produce, Greek porein to give, present, Sanskrit p ṛ ṇ ā ti he gives
Date: 14th century
1 : to trim off an outside, excess, or irregular part of < pare apples> < paring his nails>
2 : to diminish or reduce by or as if by paring < pare expenses> <the novel was pared down to 200 pages>
– par · er noun