KJV Dictionary Definition: mince

mince

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.

minced

MIN'CED, pp. Cut or chopped into very small pieces.

mincing

MIN'CING, ppr. Cutting into small pieces; speaking or walking affectedly.

mincingly

MIN'CINGLY, adv. In small parts; not fully.

Definitions from Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828.
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