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Webster 1913 Edition
Pare
Pare
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Pared
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Paring
.] 1.
To cut off, or shave off, the superficial substance or extremities of;
as, to
pare
an apple; to pare
a horse's hoof.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 redundancies3.
Fig.: To diminish the bulk of; to reduce; to lessen.
The king began to
pare
a little the privilege of clergy. Bacon.
Webster 1828 Edition
Pare
PARE
,Verb.
T.
1.
To cut off, as the superficial substance or extremities of a thing; to shave off with a sharp instrument; as, to pare an apple or an orange; to pare the nails; to pare a horse's hoof; to pare land in agriculture.2.
To diminish by little and little. The king began to pare a little the privilege of clergy.
When pare is followed by the thing diminished, the noun is in the objective case; as, to pare the nails. When the thing separated is the object, pare is followed by off or away; as, to pare off the rind of fruit; to pare away redundances.