Pared

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /pɛəd/

Definitions

1. To make something smaller or less by cutting away parts To eliminate unnecessary elements or layers for a more refined result To diminish the overall quantity or size by trimming excess material or features
2. To lessen the size or amount by cutting parts off ; to strip away the outer layers or skin from something, typically fruit or vegetables
3. To decrease something’s bulk by carefully slicing off pieces ; to peel or take off the exterior covering, often to prepare or improve it

Etymology: "Pared" is the past tense and past participle of "pare," so the story belongs to the verb. Its ancestor was the Latin "parare," meaning to prepare, arrange, or furnish, which is a surprisingly tame origin for a word now about cutting things down. The Latin verb was closely related to "parere," to bring forth or produce, so the same root links preparing with giving birth. The Latin word passed into Old French as "parer," where it meant to arrange, prepare, or trim, and English borrowed that sense through Middle English "paren." The shift toward peeling and cutting likely came from the idea of readying something by trimming away what was unwanted, so that a fruit or a fingernail was made ready by removing its outer layer.

Synonyms: trimmed, shaved, reduced, diminished, cut

Antonyms: expanded, increased, augmented, enlarged