MINCE, v.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, v.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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