Mince word meaning and definition

[noun] food chopped into small bits; "a mince of mushrooms"
[verb] make less severe or harsh; "He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears"
[verb] cut into small pieces; "mince the garlic"
[verb] walk daintily

\Mince\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Minced}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Minging}.] [AS. minsian to grow less, dwindle, fr. min small; akin to G. minder less, Goth. minniza less, mins less, adv., L. minor, adj. (cf. {Minor}); or more likely fr. F. mincer to mince, prob. from (assumed) LL. minutiare. ????. See {Minish}.] 1. To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine; to hash; as, to mince meat. --Bacon. 2. To suppress or weaken the force of; to extenuate; to palliate; to tell by degrees, instead of directly and frankly; to clip, as words or expressions; to utter half and keep back half of. I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say -- ``I love you.'' --Shak. Siren, now mince the sin, And mollify damnation with a phrase. --Dryden. If, to mince his meaning, I had either omitted some part of what he said, or taken from the strength of his expression, I certainly had wronged him. --Dryden. 3. To affect; to make a parade of. [R.] --Shak.
\Mince\, v. i. 1. To walk with short steps; to walk in a prim, affected manner. The daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, . . . mincing as they go. --Is. iii. 16. I 'll . . . turn two mincing steps Into a manly stride. --Shak. 2. To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner.
\Mince\, n. A short, precise step; an affected manner.

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