mincing steps; short quick steps
Describes walking with very short, rapid steps, often with a slightly affected or delicate manner. Used in contexts like traditional dance, or to describe a hurried, shuffling gait.
She scurried away with mincing steps.
In Japanese traditional dance, mincing steps are one of the basic movements.
Standard kanji spelling.
Abbreviated spelling; less common.
Compound of 刻み (kizami, 'cutting into small pieces; mincing') + 足 (ashi, 'foot; step'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word literally suggests 'mincing steps'.