mincemeat

[ mins-meet ]

noun

1. a mixture composed of minced apples, raisins, currants, candied citron, suet, etc., originally and traditionally also containing meat, for filling a pie.
2. meat that is ground up or cut in very small pieces.

mincemeat

/ ˈmɪnsˌmiːt /

noun

1. a mixture of dried fruit, spices, etc, used esp for filling pies
2. minced meat
3. make mincemeat of informal.
   make mincemeat of to defeat completely

Word History and Origins

Origin of mincemeat¹

First recorded in 1655–65; mince + meat

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. make mincemeat of, to destroy utterly:

   He made mincemeat of his opponent's charges.

More idioms and phrases containing mincemeat

see make mincemeat of .

Example Sentences

Some of those New York Times best-sellers include A Spy Among Friends, Operation Mincemeat, and The Spy and the Traitor.

From Freakonomics

Just look how he made mincemeat of the legal panel investigating his role in the Murdoch newspaper hacking scandal.

From The Daily Beast

The deception planners borrowed from fiction, including for one of the most celebrated operations of the war: Operation Mincemeat.

From The Daily Beast

They would be in upon the laager and surprise it asleep, having first made mincemeat of the unfortunate sentry.

From Project Gutenberg

What with the guns and the cheering, each Boer commando must have thought the next was pounded to mincemeat.

From Project Gutenberg

If you can render it impossible for the men to stand at the wheel, we will make mincemeat of this fellow in no time.

From Project Gutenberg

Dey make mincemeat of de lot of us before you have time to breathe.

From Project Gutenberg

We'll make mincemeat of the girl and hash of the chicken and sausage of the dog!

From Project Gutenberg