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American Dictionary of the English Language

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Mince


MINCE, verb transitive mins. [Latin minuo, to diminish; Latin minor, smaller; minuo, to diminish; Gr. small, slender; to diminish; Latin minutus, minute.

1. To cut or chop into very small pieces; as, to mince meat.

2. To diminish in speaking; to retrench, cut off or omit a part for the purpose of suppressing the truth; to extenuate in representation.

I know no way to mince it in love, but to say directly, I love you.

Siren, now mince the sin,

And mollify damnation with a phrase--

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.

These--were forced to mince the matter.

3. To speak with affected softness; to clip words; not to utter the full sound.

4. To walk with short or diminished steps.

MINCE, verb intransitive To walk with short steps; to walk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner.

I'll turn two mincing steps

Into a manly stride.

Because the daughters of Zion are haughty--

walking and mincing as they go. Isaiah 3:1.

1. To speak softly, or with affected nicety.