mince

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Translations 1.4 Verb 1.4.1 Usage notes 1.4.2 Derived terms 1.4.3 Translations 1.5 See also 1.6 References 2 Czech 2.1 Noun 2.1.1 Related terms 3 French 3.1 Pronunciation 3.2 Adjective 3.3 Interjection

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Old French mincier (French: émincer), from Vulgar Latin *minutiare, from Late Latin minutiæ.

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /mɪns/, SAMPA: /mIns/

• Rhymes: -ɪns

[edit] Noun

mince (countable and uncountable; plural minces)

1. (uncountable) Finely chopped meat.
2. (uncountable) Finely chopped mixed fruit used in Christmas pies.
3. (countable) A short, precise step.
4. (countable) An affected manner.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to mince (third-person singular simple present minces, present participle mincing, simple past and past participle minced)

1. (transitive, cooking) To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine.
2. (transitive) 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." — Shakespeare

3. (transitive) To affect; to make a parade of.
4. (intransitive) 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. 16.

   I'll turn two mincing steps into a manly stride. — Shakespeare

5. (intransitive) To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner.

[edit] Usage notes

Current usage in the sense of "weaken the force of" is limited to the phrase "mince words"; e.g., "I won't mince words with you".

[edit] Derived terms

• mince words

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

mincemeat, mince pie

[edit] References

• mince in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

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[edit] Czech

[edit] Noun

mince f.

1. coin

[edit] Related terms

• mincovna
• mincovní

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[edit] French

[edit] Pronunciation

•  audio^{help, file}
• IPA: /mɛ̃s/

[edit] Adjective

mince (epicene, plural minces)

1. slim, slender

[edit] Interjection

mince !

1. drat!, darn!
2. wow!, blimey!