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"

Mince \Mince\, v. i.
   1. To walk with short steps; to walk in a prim, affected
      manner.
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            The daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with
            stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, . . . mincing
            as they go.                           --Is. iii. 16.
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            I 'll . . . turn two mincing steps
            Into a manly stride.                  --Shak.
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   2. To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in
      manner.
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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.]
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   1. To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine; to hash; as,
      to mince meat. --Bacon.
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   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.
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            I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to
            say -- "I love you."                  --Shak.
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            Siren, now mince the sin,
            And mollify damnation with a phrase.  --Dryden.
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            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.
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   3. To affect; to make a parade of. [R.] --Shak.
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Mince \Mince\, n.
   A short, precise step; an affected manner.
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