Mince \Mince\, v. i.

1. 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. --Shak.

2. To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Mince \Mince\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Minced; p. pr. & vb. n. Minging.]

[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. ????. See Minish.]

1. To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine; to hash; as, to mince meat. --Bacon.

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.

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.

3. To affect; to make a parade of. [R.]

--Shak.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Mince \Mince\, n. A short, precise step; an affected manner.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)