Definition

1. Noun:

   • Finely chopped food, especially meat: "Mince" refers to food, most commonly meat, that has been cut or ground into very small pieces.

2. Verb:

   • To cut or chop into very small pieces: The primary action of cutting food, like meat, onions, or garlic, into tiny fragments.
   • To walk or speak in an affectedly dainty or delicate manner: To move or talk with exaggerated, often effeminate, small and precise steps or with an overly refined tone.
   • To moderate or soften the force of one's words: To express something in less direct, severe, or blunt terms.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • For the pie filling, you will need one pound of beef mince.
  • She bought a packet of lamb mince from the butcher.

• Verb (to cut):

  • Please mince the onion finely for the sauce.
  • The recipe instructs you to mince the herbs before adding them.

• Verb (to walk/speak affectedly):

  • He minced across the room in his high-heeled shoes.
  • "Oh, I simply couldn't!" she minced, waving a hand dismissively.

• Verb (to moderate words):

  • He didn't mince his words when criticizing the policy. (Used in the negative to emphasize directness).
  • She minced her criticism to avoid hurting his feelings.

Advanced Usage

• "not to mince matters" / "not to mince (one's) words": To speak frankly and directly, without softening the truth.
  • The CEO did not mince words about the company's poor performance.

Variants and Related Words

• Mincer (n): A kitchen tool or machine used for mincing food.
  • She put the meat through the mincer.
• Mincemeat (n): A mixture of finely chopped dried fruit, spices, and sometimes meat or suet, used as a pie filling. Figuratively, it can mean to destroy or defeat thoroughly (e.g., "make mincemeat of").
  • We made mince pies for Christmas.

Synonyms

• Verb (to cut): Chop finely, dice, grind, hash.
• Verb (to walk/speak): Prance, affect, simper.
• Verb (to moderate): Soften, moderate, temper, euphemize.

Related Phrases

• Make mincemeat of (someone/something): To defeat or destroy someone or something utterly, or to criticize them severely.
  • The debate team made mincemeat of their opponents' arguments.

Related Idioms

• Mince pies (Cockney rhyming slang): Eyes.
  • Keep your mince pies on the road!

Noun

1. food chopped into small bits
   • a mince of mushrooms

Verb

1. cut into small pieces
   • mince the garlic
2. walk daintily
   • She minced down the street
3. make less severe or harsh
   • He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears