Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MINCE, v.t. [mins; Sax. minsιan, from the root of L. minuo, to diminish; W. main, Arm. moon, Fr. menu, mince, Ir. min, mion, small, fine; L. minor, smaller; minuo, to diminish; Gr. μινος, small, slender; μινυθω, to diminish; L. minutus, minute; Sw. minska, to diminish; Ar. مَنَّ manna, to weaken, to diminish. Class Mn, No. 5.]

1. To cut or chop into very small pieces; as, to mince meat. – Dryden.
2. To diminish in speaking; to retrench, cut off or omit a part for the purpose of suppressing the truth; to extenuate in representation. I know no way to mince it in love, but to say directly, I love you. – Shak. Siren, now mince the sin, / And mollify damnation with a phrase. – Dryden If, to mince his meaning, I had either omitted some part of what he said, or taken from the strength of his expression, I certainly had wronged him. – Dryden. These – were forced to mince the matter. – Woodward.
3. To speak with affected softness; to clip words; not to utter the full sound. – Shak.
4. To walk with short or diminished steps.