paring

[ pair-ing ]

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that pares.
2. a piece or part pared off:

   apple parings.

paring

/ ˈpɛərɪŋ /

noun

1. often plural something pared or cut off

Word History and Origins

Origin of paring¹

1350–1400; Middle English (gerund); pare, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Before Chutkan set a briefing schedule, Smith obtained a superseding indictment, paring down the charges to remove allegations the Supreme Court held were absolutely immune.

From Slate

Insurers were ruthless about paring their customer base down to the youngest, healthiest applicants — those with minimal expected healthcare costs unless they were hit by a meteor.

From Los Angeles Times

Hartley believes that paring back the programme of sports for 2026 could give organisers the chance to define the Commonwealth Game more clearly, as well as reducing costs.

From BBC

Paring the project down by concentrating on combat moves alone meant the Cranfield team worked fast.

From BBC

The first draft of the screenplay for “Jefferson in Paris” was 350 pages, and they kept paring it down and cutting.

From Salon

Related Words

• flake
• fragment
• shaving
• shred
• slice
• snippet