mince

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Minced p. pr. & vb. n. Minging ] [ AS. minsian to grow less, dwindle, fr. min small; akin to G. minder less, Goth. minniza less, mins less, adv., L. minor, adj. (cf. Minor); or more likely fr. F. mincer to mince, prob. from (assumed) LL. minutiare. √101. See Minish. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine; to hash; as, to mince meat. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To suppress or weaken the force of; to extenuate; to palliate; to tell by degrees, instead of directly and frankly; to clip, as words or expressions; to utter half and keep back half of; as, he doesn't mince words. [ 1913 Webster ]

I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say -- “I love you.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Siren, now mince the sin,
And mollify damnation with a phrase. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To affect; to make a parade of. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]