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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Mince \Mince\ (m[i^]ns), verb (used with an object) [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, adverb, L. minor, adjective (cf. {Minor}); or more likely fr. F. mincer to mince, prob. from (assumed) LL. minutiare. [root]101. 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; as, he doesn't mince words.
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.
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