mince
Pronunciation: (mins), [key]
— v., n. minced, minc•ing,
—v.t.
- to cut or chop into very small pieces.
- to soften, moderate, or weaken (one's words), esp. for the sake of decorum or courtesy.
- to perform or utter with affected elegance.
- to subdivide minutely, as land or a topic for study.
—v.i.
- to walk or move with short, affectedly dainty steps.
- to act or speak with affected elegance.
- orto speak directly and frankly; be blunt or outspoken: He was angry and didn't mince words.
—n.
- something cut up very small; mincemeat.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.