Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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.

   2. To remove; to separate; to cut or shave, as the skin,
      ring, or outside part, from anything; -- followed by off
      or away; as; to pare off the ring of fruit; to pare away
      redundancies.

   3. Fig.: To diminish the bulk of; to reduce; to lessen.

            The king began to pare a little the privilege of
            clergy.                               --Bacon.

Source : WordNet®

pare
     v 1: decrease gradually or bit by bit [syn: {pare down}]
     2: cut small bits or pare shavings from; "whittle a piece of
        wood" [syn: {whittle}]
     3: strip the skin off; "pare apples" [syn: {skin}, {peel}]
     4: remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size;
        "pare one's fingernails"; "trim the photograph"; "trim
        lumber" [syn: {trim}]