pare

[pair] /pɛər/

verb (used with object), pared, paring.

to cut off the outer coating, layer, or part of.

to remove (an outer coating, layer, or part) by cutting (often followed by off or away).

to reduce or remove by or as by cutting; diminish or decrease gradually (often followed by down):

to pare down one's expenses.

Origin

1275-1325; Middle English paren < Middle French parer to make ready, trim < Latin parāre to prepare

Related forms

pareable, adjective

unpared, adjective

Can be confused

pair, pare, payer, pear.

Synonyms

1. See peel¹ . 3. clip, shave, lessen.

Antonyms

3. increase.

Paré

[pa-rey] /paˈreɪ/

noun

Ambroise

[ahn-brwaz] /ɑ̃ˈbrwaz/ (Show IPA), 1510–90, French surgeon.

Examples from the web for pare

First you need to pare down your teaching prep and teaching time.
Physicians called it insane, saying it would do nothing to help plump patients pare down to healthier weights.
And the service is currently looking to pare back, rather than increase, its workforce.
Governments that boost spending in bad times rarely pare it back later.
pare down your current expenses as much as possible.
Start with your big question and then pare it down to something that's manageable.
It's a good time to pare back to doing only essentials.
Cut off the flat top and bottom skin, then simply pare the circular edge with a small knife.
However, the appliance business has begun to pare down the high-end beauties to fit comfortably in the less-roomy kitchen.

British Dictionary definitions for pare

pare

/pɛə/

verb (transitive)

to peel or cut (the outer layer) from (something)

to cut the edges from (the nails); trim

to decrease bit by bit

Derived Forms

parer, noun

Word Origin

C13: from Old French parer to adorn, from Latin parāre to make ready

Paré

/French pare/

noun

Ambroise (ɑ̃brwaz). 1510–90, French surgeon. He reintroduced ligature of arteries following amputation instead of cauterization

Word Origin and History for pare

"to trim by cutting close," c.1300, from Old French parer "arrange, prepare; trim, adorn," and directly from Latin parare "make ready, furnish, provide, arrange, order," related to parere "produce, bring forth, give birth to," from PIE root *pere- "produce, procure, bring forward, bring forth," and derived words in diverse senses (cf. Lithuanian pariu "to brood," Greek poris "calf, bull," Old High German farro, German Farre "bullock," Old English fearr "bull," Sanskrit prthukah "child, calf, young of an animal," Czech spratek "brat, urchin, premature calf"). Generalized meaning "to reduce something little by little" is from 1520s. Related: Pared; paring.

pare in Medicine

Paré Pa·ré (pä-rā'), Ambroise. 1517?-1590.

French surgeon who made numerous improvements to operating methods, including the ligature of arteries rather than cauterization.