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parer

A parer has two distinct lives depending on where you are.

ˈpɛɹɚCurrent100 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 28, 2026

A parer has two distinct lives depending on where you are. In standard English, it's a small kitchen tool used for peeling or trimming fruit and vegetables — a paring knife or similar implement. In Irish English, however, a parer is simply a pencil sharpener — the handheld kind you use to put a point on a pencil. The Irish usage is charming and practical: 'pare' meaning to shave or trim carries over naturally. Both meanings share the same cutting-down logic, just applied to very different objects.

She rummaged through her pencil case looking for a parer so she could finish her sketch before class started.
Origin: From the verb 'to pare' (to peel or trim), from Old French parer, from Latin parare (to prepare). The Irish sense of 'pencil sharpener' is a natural semantic extension of the trimming/shaving action. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

A tool used to pare things.

For parents

Parer means: A tool used to pare things.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up. For most families this word will pass by without incident; it is more a vocabulary curiosity than a parenting concern.

For ESL learners

parer means: A tool used to pare things.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.

Heard in the wild
  • “Indeed ca prend une discipline pour faire des batches. ca prend du temps + la volontée de manger les mêmes repas en ligne (si on mange pas tout). une solution à la monotonie est de congéler et sortir ce qui te "tente" ce jour la. encore la, faut que ce soit pré-parer 😕”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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#3·Apr 27, 2026

(Ireland) A pencil sharpener.

Cluster: general
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.

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