verb
pare
PAIR/per/
To remove an outer layer or excess by cutting.
She pares the apple with a small, sharp kitchen knife.
Etymology
Latin parare meant making something ready. The intermediate sense of trimming narrowed this broad idea of preparation to cutting away peel, crust, or other outer material.
In context
pare down your notes so that you can just have a conversational style with your audience. And again, as you're practicing, you have to whittle down those notes
More examples
- Pare away the tough outer layer of each stem.
- He pares thin slivers from the wood until it fits.
- We pare down our expenses by canceling unused subscriptions.
Forms
pare · pares · pared · paring
paring noun — A thin piece cut from an outer layer.