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Webster 1913 Edition

Mince

Mince

(mĭns)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Minced
(mĭnst)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Minging
(mĭn′sĭng)
.]
[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
. √101. 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;
as, he doesn’t
mince
words
.
I know no ways to
mince
it in love, but directly to say – “I love you.”
Shakespeare
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

,
Verb.
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.
Shakespeare
2.
To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner.

Mince

,
Noun.
A short, precise step; an affected manner.

Webster 1828 Edition

Mince

MINCE

,
Verb.
T.
mins. [L. minuo, to diminish; L. minor, smaller; minuo, to diminish; Gr. small, slender; to diminish; L. 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.
I.
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. Is.3.
1.
To speak softly, or with affected nicety.

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