mince

[ mins ]

/ mɪns /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: mince / mincing / mincer on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), minced, minc·ing.

to cut or chop into very small pieces.

to soften, moderate, or weaken (one's words), especially for the sake of decorum or courtesy.

to perform or utter with affected elegance.

to subdivide minutely, as land or a topic for study.

verb (used without object), minced, minc·ing.

to walk or move with short, affectedly dainty steps.

Archaic. to act or speak with affected elegance.

noun

something cut up very small; mincemeat.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about mince

not mince words / matters, to speak directly and frankly; be blunt or outspoken: He was angry and didn't mince words.

Origin of mince

1350–1400; Middle English mincen<Middle French minc(i)er<Vulgar Latin *minūtiāre to mince; see minute²

OTHER WORDS FROM mince

mincer, nounun·minced, adjective

Words nearby mince

Minas de Ríotinto, Minas Gerais, Minatitlán, minatory, minaudière, mince, mince matters, mincemeat, mince pie, mincer, Minch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use mince in a sentence

Ashley Dudarenok, founder, AlariceCompanies are using QR codes, mobile apps and third-party services to build consumer confidence in the origin and authenticity of the goods they sell, from luxury handbags to bags of frozen beef mince.
The Unlikely New Champion of Consumer Rights: China|Charu Kasturi|December 17, 2020|Ozy
A high caloric dinner ensues, consisting of turkey, stuffing, gravy with giblets, mashed potatoes, squash, turnips, and green bean casserole, complemented by mince and pumpkin pies.
Remembrance of Thanksgivings past|Valerie Blake|November 27, 2020|Washington Blade
The Omega includes accessories to make nut-butter and mince herbs.
These pieces of kitchen gear make excellent gifts|PopSci Commerce Team|October 6, 2020|Popular-Science
But Marcouch does not mince his words: “The greatest insult of ISIS may even be toward the Muslims and Islam itself,” he tells us.
ISIS’s Black Flags Are Flying in Europe|Nadette De Visser|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Musk was never one to mince words, but has recently unleashed aggressive broadsides on ULA.
SpaceX’s Dragon V2 Will Land Exactly Where It Wants To|Zach Rosenberg|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Santa snacks on rice pudding in Denmark, sponge cake in Chile, Kulkuls in India, and mince pies in the U.K.
8 Facts You Never Knew About Christmas|Brandy Zadrozny|December 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Never one to mince her words, Leakes is as bawdy as they get on reality television.
‘Ebony’ Cover With NeNe Leakes Unleashes a Firestorm of Criticism|Karu F. Daniels|November 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Christine Lagarde doesn't mince words about economy during her first major policy address as IMF chief.
The Woman in Charge|Eleanor Clift|September 16, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Place these an inch from each other; egg the paste all round and fold the edge of it over the balls of mince.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis
Mince an onion; take about a dozen peppercorns, twenty juniper berries, three bayleaves, and put these into a gill of vinegar.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis
Take a cold dressed rabbit, mince all the meat, mix in with it an equal quantity of bread soaked in milk squeezed dry.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis
Mince two ounces of lean ham, one truffle, and six mushrooms; stir this mixture into a gill of white sauce.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis
When it is half done, mince it with the bacon, season, and add half a clove of garlic and pound all smoothly in a mortar.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis

British Dictionary definitions for mince

mince

/ (mɪns) /

verb

(tr) to chop, grind, or cut into very small pieces

(tr) to soften or moderate, esp for the sake of convention or politenessI didn't mince my words

(intr) to walk or speak in an affected dainty manner

noun

mainly British minced meat

informal nonsensical rubbish

Word Origin for mince

C14: from Old French mincier, from Vulgar Latin minūtiāre (unattested), from Late Latin minūtia smallness; see minutiae

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

mince

Idioms about mince

Origin of mince

OTHER WORDS FROM mince

Words nearby mince

Words related to mince

How to use mince in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mince

Word Origin for mince