Mince
Mince (mins) , transitive verb
[Anglo-Saxon minsian to grow less, dwindle, from min small; akin to German minder less, Gothic minniza less, mins less, adv., Latin minor, adj. (compare Minor); or more likely from French mincer to mince, prob. from (assumed) Late Latin minutiare. r101. 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.”
Siren, now mince the sin,
And mollify damnation with a phrase.
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.
3.
To affect; to make a parade of. [Rare] — Shakespeare
Mince , intransitive verb
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.
I 'll... turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride.
2.
To act or talk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner.
Mince , noun
A short, precise step; an affected manner.