mince

1 of 2

verb

minced; mincing

transitive verb

1
a
: to cut or chop into very small pieces
She minced the garlic.
b
: to subdivide minutely
especially : to damage by cutting up
The director minced up the play.
2
: to utter or pronounce with affectation
minced the word in the manner of the old lady
3
a
archaic : minimize
b
: to restrain (words) within the bounds of decorum
minced no words in stating his dislikeJ. T. Farrell

intransitive verb

: to walk with short steps in a prim affected manner
The comedian minced across the stage.
mincer noun

mince

2 of 2

noun

1
: small chopped bits (as of food)
specifically : mincemeat
2
British : hamburger sense 1a

Examples of mince in a Sentence

Verb She minced the onions. minced some garlic and added it to the stew
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Democrats, who control both chambers of the California Legislature, did not mince words about the impacts. Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025 Hamilton did not mince words, even when dealing with the most powerful men in high positions of America’s industrial companies. Daniel Stone, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2025 Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents 55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines, did not mince words. Karla Cripps, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025 Adding 1/2 to 1 jalapeño, finely minced, to the potato filling would be delicious for a bit of a kick. Darcy Lenz, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mince

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French mincer, from Vulgar Latin *minutiare, from Latin minutia smallness — more at minutia

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mince was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Mince.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mince. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

mince

1 of 2 verb
minced; mincing
1
: to cut into very small pieces
2
: to act, walk, or speak in an unnaturally dainty way
mincingly
ˈmin(t)-siŋ-lē
adverb

mince

2 of 2 noun
: small bits into which something is chopped
especially : mincemeat

More from Merriam-Webster on mince

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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