Mince

v. t. [imp. & p. p. MINCED (mĭnst); p. pr. & vb. n. MINCING.] [A-S. minsian, from minn, minor, weak, min, minus; O. Sax., O. Fries., & O. H. Ger. min, Icel. minni, Goth. mins, Fr. mince, slender, slight, from O. H. Ger. minnisto, superlative of min, Prov. & O. Fr. mincer, to cut, mince.]

1. To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine; to hash; as, to mince meat.
2. To diminish in speaking; to retrench, cut off, or omit; to extenuate; to clip, as words, or expressions; to utter half and keep back half of.

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.