pare

pare

verb \ˈper\

paredpar·ing

Definition of PARE

transitive verb

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

Examples of PARE

1. The company has to find a way to pare expenses.
2. <pared the stray branches on the tree>

Origin of PARE

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PARE

Synonyms: bob, crop, cut, cut back, dock, lop (off), nip, clip, poll, prune, shave, shear, snip, trim

Related Words: skive, whittle; manicure, mow; pinch, stump; curtail, shorten

Near Antonyms: elongate, extend, lengthen

[+]more[-]hide

Rhymes with PARE

air, Ayr, bare, bear, Blair, blare, care, chair, chare, dare, Dare, e'er, ere, err, eyre, fair, fare, flair, flare, glair, glare, hair, hare, Herr, heir, lair, mare, ne'er, pair, pear, prayer, rare, rear, scare, share, snare, spare, square, stair, stare, swear, tare, tear, their, there, vair, ware, wear, weir, where, yare