省く
はぶく · habuku · JLPT N3 · verb-godan
to omit
✂️ 省 = 少 (few) + 目 (eye): look it over, then keep fewer
The same kanji is in 省略 (しょうりゃく, abbreviation). Sound hook: ha-BUKU sounds like ha, book, so you skip chapters of the book. It means leaving out what isn't needed, as in 手間を省く (to save effort).
省 — 少 (shǎo) on top + 目 (eye) below
Originally a compound of 少 'small/few' over 目 'eye', suggesting narrowed eyes peering closely — hence the reading xǐng meaning 'to examine, inspect, reflect'. The sense of 'reduce/save' and the administrative meaning 'province' (as in 省份) developed later from the idea of cutting down or overseeing a region.