Verb
To cut off, or shave off, the superficial substance or extremities of; as, to pare an apple; to pare a horse's hoof.
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.
Fig.: To diminish the bulk of; to reduce; to lessen.
Source: Webster's dictionaryMy favorite form is the short story. From an aesthetics stand point you really have to pare down to the bone. You can't write a throw-away scene. Roger Zelazny
Rewriting is a large part of the whole job. And get rid of stuff that's not working. Just pare it down until it's a beautiful thing you can hand in, probably late, to your editor. Kurt Loder
If you try to simplify or pare off the superfluous from the minds and speech of most men, you will find that nothing is left. There is no simplicity in them, for there is no truth; truth and simplicity being, as Aquinas says, the same thing. Coventry Patmore
In a period of economic downturn, the overwhelming instinct is to pare back, cut costs, and lay off. If you do that, do so with your strategy in mind. The worst mistake is to cut across the board. Instead, reconnect and recommit to a clear strategy that will distinguish yourself from others. Michael E. Porter
I have learned to pare down what I do and still be effective and strong in a role. Mira Sorvino
Many irons in the fire, pare must cool. Scottish Proverb