mince
verb /mɪns/
/mɪns/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they mince | /mɪns/ /mɪns/ |
| he / she / it minces | /ˈmɪnsɪz/ /ˈmɪnsɪz/ |
| past simple minced | /mɪnst/ /mɪnst/ |
| past participle minced | /mɪnst/ /mɪnst/ |
| -ing form mincing | /ˈmɪnsɪŋ/ /ˈmɪnsɪŋ/ |
- (North American English also grind)[transitive] mince something to cut food, especially meat, into very small pieces using a special machine (called a mincer)
- minced beef
- [intransitive] + adv./prep. (disapproving) to walk with quick short steps, in a way that is not natural
- He minced over to serve us.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French mincier, based on Latin minutia ‘smallness’.
Idioms
not mince (your) words
- to say something in a direct way even though it might offend other people
- They were severely criticized by the chairman, who was not a man to mince his words.
- He doesn't mince his words when he talks about his ex-boss.