1.
1.
[syn: mince, soften, moderate]
2. walk daintily;
- Example: "She minced down the street"
3. cut into small pieces;
- Example: "mince the garlic"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Mince \Mince\, v. i.
1. To walk with short steps; to walk in a prim, affected
manner.
[1913 Webster]
The daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with
stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, . . . mincing
as they go. --Is. iii. 16.
[1913 Webster]
I 'll . . . turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in
manner.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine; to hash; as,
to mince meat. --Bacon.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to
say -- "I love you." --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Siren, now mince the sin,
And mollify damnation with a phrase. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
3. To affect; to make a parade of. [R.] --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Mince \Mince\, n.
A short, precise step; an affected manner.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
mince
n 1: food chopped into small bits; "a mince of mushrooms"
v 1: make less severe or harsh; "He moderated his tone when the
students burst out in tears" [syn: mince, soften,
moderate]
2: walk daintily; "She minced down the street"
3: cut into small pieces; "mince the garlic"