Min"a*ret (?), n. [Sp. minarete, Ar. manrat lamp, lantern, lighthouse,
turret, fr. nr to shine.] (Arch.) A slender, lofty tower attached to a
mosque and surrounded by one or more projecting balconies, from which
the summon to prayer is cried by the muezzin.
Min*ar"gent (?), n. [Prob. contr. from aluminium + L. argentum silver.]
An alloy consisting of copper, nickel, tungsten, and aluminium; -- used
by jewelers.
{ Min`a*to"ri*al*ly (?), Min"a*to*ri*ly (?) }, adv. In a minatory
manner; with threats.
Min"a*to*ry (?), a. [L. minatorius, fr. minari to threaten. See
Menace.] Threatening; menacing. Bacon.
Mi*naul" (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Manul.
Mince (mns), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Minced (mnst); p. pr. & vb. n. Minging
(mn"sng).] [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.]
1. To cut into very small pieces; to chop fine; to hash; as, to mince
meat. Bacon.
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.
I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say -- "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.