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pare

[pair]
verb (used with object), pared, par·ing.
  1. to cut off the outer coating, layer, or part of.
  2. to remove (an outer coating, layer, or part) by cutting (often followed by off or away).
  3. to reduce or remove by or as by cutting; diminish or decrease gradually (often followed by down): to pare down one's expenses.
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Origin of pare

1275–1325; Middle English paren < Middle French parer to make ready, trim < Latin parāre to prepare
Related formspare·a·ble, adjectiveun·pared, adjective
Can be confusedpair pare payer pear

Synonyms

1. See peel1. 3. clip, shave, lessen.

Antonyms

3. increase.

prima inter pares

[pree-mah in-ter pah-res; English prahy-muh in-ter pair-eez, pree-muh]
noun, plural pri·mae in·ter pa·res [pree-mee in-ter pah-res; English prahy-mey in-ter pair-eez, pree‐] /ˈpri mi ˈɪn tər ˈpɑ rɛs; English ˈpraɪ meɪ ˈɪn tər ˈpɛər iz, ˈpri‐/ Latin.
  1. (of a female) first among equals.
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primus inter pares

[pree-moo s in-ter pah-res; English prahy-muh s in-ter pair-eez, pree-]
noun, plural pri·mi in·ter pa·res [pree-mee in-ter pah-res; English prahy-mee in-ter pair-eez pree-] /ˈpri mi ˈɪn tɛr ˈpɑ rɛs; English ˈpraɪ mi ˈɪn tər ˈpɛər iz ˈpri-/ Latin.
  1. (of males) first among equals.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

shavelowerprunereducescrapedecreaseslashcutclipflayskindecorticatecropdocklopthinscalpstripcarveuncover

Examples from the Web for pares

Historical Examples

  • That is my welt-knife, like a razor, and he pares his hoofs with it!

    Casa Braccio, Volumes 1 and 2 (of 2)

    F. Marion Crawford

  • He takes the piece of wood in hand, equalizes the thickness where needful, and pares off the sharp edges.

  • Foret enim optandum, pares, aut saltem proximos, illi viro fieri.

  • The other loaves he pares round, cuts one in two, and gives the upper half in halves to him.

  • Gussy 'pares in the background and givs the gals $5 to danse a bally for his own speshell benerfit.

    The Bad Boy At Home

    Walter T. Gray

British Dictionary definitions for pares

pare

verb (tr)
  1. to peel or cut (the outer layer) from (something)
  2. to cut the edges from (the nails); trim
  3. to decrease bit by bit
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Derived Formsparer, noun

Word Origin

C13: from Old French parer to adorn, from Latin parāre to make ready

Paré

noun
  1. Ambroise (ɑ̃brwaz). 1510–90, French surgeon. He reintroduced ligature of arteries following amputation instead of cauterization
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primus inter pares

  1. first among equals
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for pares

pare

v.

"to trim by cutting close," c.1300, from Old French parer "arrange, prepare; trim, adorn," and directly from Latin parare "make ready, furnish, provide, arrange, order," related to parere "produce, bring forth, give birth to," from PIE root *pere- "produce, procure, bring forward, bring forth," and derived words in diverse senses (cf. Lithuanian pariu "to brood," Greek poris "calf, bull," Old High German farro, German Farre "bullock," Old English fearr "bull," Sanskrit prthukah "child, calf, young of an animal," Czech spratek "brat, urchin, premature calf"). Generalized meaning "to reduce something little by little" is from 1520s. Related: Pared; paring.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
pares in Medicine

Paré

(pä-rā′)Ambroise 1517?-1590
  1. French surgeon who made numerous improvements to operating methods, including the ligature of arteries rather than cauterization.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.