From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Pare \Pare\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pared; p. pr. & vb. n.
Paring.] [F. parer to pare, as a horse's hoofs, to dress or
curry, as, leather, to clear, as anchors or cables, to parry,
ward off, fr. L. parare to prepare. Cf. Empire, Parade,
Pardon, Parry, Prepare.]
1. To cut off, or shave off, the superficial substance or
extremities of; as, to pare an apple; to pare a horse's
hoof.
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2. To remove; to separate; to cut or shave, as the skin,
rind, or outside part, from anything; -- followed by off
or away; as, to pare off the rind of fruit; to pare away
redundancies.
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3. Fig.: To diminish the bulk of; to reduce; to lessen.
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The king began to pare a little the privilege of
clergy. --Bacon.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Paring \Par"ing\, n. [From Pare, v. t.]
1. The act of cutting off the surface or extremites of
anything.
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2. That which is pared off. --Pope.
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Pare off the surface of the earth, and with the
parings raise your hills. --Mortimer.
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