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# mince

noun (mince — uncountable) — UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ; verb (mince, minces, minced, mincing)

«mince» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Mince is meat cut into very small pieces in a machine, used for burgers, spaghetti bolognese and cottage pie; in the US and Canada it is called «ground beef» or «hamburger meat». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#m1)
2. To mince food is to cut it into very small pieces. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#m2)
3. To mince is to walk with small, quick, fussy steps. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#m3)
4. «Not mince your words» means to say something directly, even if it is not polite. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#m4)

### In the lessons

In cooking at home and school, mince is a cheap everyday meat; «mince and tatties» is a Scottish dish, and «mince pies» are a Christmas treat (now filled with fruit, not meat). In everyday talk, «she didn't mince her words» means she was very blunt. In Scotland, «talking mince» means talking nonsense (slang).

### Examples

- Mum bought beef mince for burgers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#x1)
- Fry the mince with onions. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#x2)
- Mince the garlic very finely. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#x3)
- We eat mince pies at Christmas. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#x4)
- She didn't mince her words: «That's wrong.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#x5)
- (Scotland) Stop talking mince! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#x6)
- In the US, mince is called ground beef. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#x7)
- The mince is browning in the pan. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/#x8)

### Note

Uncountable noun: «some mince», «500 grams of mince». Trap: «mince pies» in the UK are sweet fruit pies, not meat. «Mincemeat» is the sweet fruit filling; «make mincemeat of someone» = beat them easily.

## In Jewish tradition

Here it means to walk with tiny, showy steps. Isaiah scolds the proud women of Jerusalem who walk this way.

**Interpretation.** Isaiah's warning is read as a rebuke of pride and showing off. The prophets said that vanity would be followed by loss.

### Examples

- Moreover the LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet; (Prophets ISA.3.16, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/mince/#x1)

### Note

Uncountable noun: «some mince», «500 grams of mince». Trap: «mince pies» in the UK are sweet fruit pies, not meat. «Mincemeat» is the sweet fruit filling; «make mincemeat of someone» = beat them easily.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «mince» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mince/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«mince» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/mince.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «mince» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/M/mince/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«mince» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/mince.html) on Mova free.