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.

Paring \Par"ing\, n. [From {Pare}, v. t.]
   1. The act of cutting off the surface or extremites of
      anything.

   2. That which is pared off. --Pope.

            Pare off the surface of the earth, and with the
            parings raise your hills.             --Mortimer.

Source : WordNet®

paring
     n 1: a thin fragment or slice (especially of wood) that has been
          shaved from something [syn: {sliver}, {shaving}]
     2: (usually plural) a part of a fruit or vegetable that is
        pared or cut off; especially the skin or peel; "she could
        peel an apple with a single long paring"