From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishparepare /peə $ per/ verb [transitive] 1 DFCto cut off the outer layer of something, using a sharp knife Pare the rind from the fruit.2 REDUCEto reduce the amount, number, or size of something as much as you can The firm has not been able to pare costs fast enough to match competitors. The country’s defences have been pared to the bone (=reduced as far as possible). → pare something ↔ down→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
pare• The rest could be pared away.• The problem with the Journal is that we are a small society trying to pare costs to the minimum.• But whereas caricature depends on paring down character to exaggerated essentials, acting conveys shades, nuances and inconsistencies.• Mr Hall has pared down the bebop style and you are left with the spirit, minus the meaningless displays of technique.• In our quest for experiencing the ultimate New York hotel bar, we must pare down the prospects.• The banking industry is aggressively paring its ranks, and the current wave of megamergers simply means more layoffs.• Pare one small apple and then dice it.From Longman Business Dictionaryparepare /peəper/ (also pare down) verb [transitive] to gradually reduce a number or amountThe company has been paring its regional accounting staff.Both companies have pared down their operations in order to survive.→ See Verb tableOrigin pare (1200-1300) Old French parer “to prepare, make neat”, from Latin parare “to prepare” 