mince

Definitions

1. 1.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.
2. 2.To affect; to make a parade of. [R.] Shak.
3. 3.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.
4. 4.I 'll... turn two mincing steps Into a manly stride. Shak.
5. 5.To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner.
6. 6.A short, precise step; an affected manner.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "mince" mean?
• What is another word for "mince"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is mince.

• What is to affect; to make a parade of. [R.] Shak called?
• What is 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 called?
• What is i 'll... turn two mincing steps Into a manly stride. Shak called?
• What is to act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner called?
• What is a short, precise step; an affected manner called?