mince: [14] Etymologically, to mince something is to make it extremely ‘small’. The word comes via Old French mincier from Vulgar Latin *minūtiāre, a derivative of Latin minūtia ‘small thing’. This in turn was based on minūtus ‘small’, source of English minute. => minute
mince (v.)
late 14c., "to chop in little pieces," from Old French mincier "make into small pieces," from Vulgar Latin *minutiare "make small," from Late Latin minutiæ "small bits," from Latin minutus "small" (see minute (adj.)). Of speech, "to clip affectedly in imitation of elegance," 1540s; of words or language, "to restrain in the interest of decorum," 1590s. Meaning "to walk with short or precise steps" is from 1560s. Related: Minced; mincing.
mince (n.)
"minced meat," 1850; see mincemeat.
中文解释
1. minute => mince.2. Etymologically, to mince something is to make it extremely 'small'.3. It is ultimately from minutus "small".4. => chop in little pieces.
实用例句
1. The doctors didn't mince their words, and predicted the worst.
