Main Entry:

pare

Pronunciation:

\ˈper\

Function:

transitive verb

Inflected Form(s):

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 pṛṇāti 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