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.
Mince (mĭns), v. 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.
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.