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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pare, Pair(e, Payre, v. [ME. and e.m.E. pare (14th c.), OF. parer, to prepare, to trim, L. parāre to make ready.]

1. tr. To pare, in various usual senses.As, to peel (a fruit), pare (one's nails), trim, reduce or cut down (a thing) by cutting or shaving away, to cut off (a part from (of) something), to cut away (turf).(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 1099.
This tyrand had in custume ay Eftire his mete … To payre ane apil & til eete 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 112.
The captane had workmen labouring about the castle … and pairing away the greine grasse 1587 Acts III. 522/1.
And the edge of the bottom entering within the laggyne [to] be pairit outwith toward the nethir syde 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 145/7.
& paire his nailis 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Recido, to paire(b) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1906.
On the hals of his helm a kerf he made And parit of his hawbrek a hand bred

b. transf. and fig. To reduce, diminish; to lessen, lower, intr. const. of. 1535 Stewart 18767.
Quhen baith oure poweris war parit to nocht Ib. 21830.
For all thair pryis thai parit of thair pryde

2. To prepare, make ready. 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 65.
To four werkmen … servand the gardnaris … and parand & dychtand allayis 1638 Johnston Diary I. 390.
And the Lord was … pairing and prapairing the way quhairin his saints may goe to thair desyred Canaan 1693 Foulis Acc. Bk. 160.
A mason to pair the wall for a boxbed in the chamber