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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Mince \Mince\, v. i.
1. To walk with short steps; to walk in a prim, affected
manner.
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The daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with
stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, . . . mincing
as they go. --Is. iii. 16.
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I 'll . . . turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride. --Shak.
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2. To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in
manner.
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Mince \Mince\ (m[i^]ns), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Minced}
(m[i^]nst); p. pr. & vb. n. {Minging} (m[i^]n"s[i^]ng).] [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. [root]101. See {Minish}.]
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1. To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine; to hash; as,
to mince meat. --Bacon.
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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.
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I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to
say -- "I love you." --Shak.
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Siren, now mince the sin,
And mollify damnation with a phrase. --Dryden.
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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.
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3. To affect; to make a parade of. [R.] --Shak.
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Mince \Mince\, n.
A short, precise step; an affected manner.
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