(Go: >> BACK << -|- >> HOME <<)
Wiktionary

morsel

English

edit

Etymology

edit

From Middle English morsel, from Old French morsel, from Medieval Latin morsellum (“a bit, a little piece”), diminutive of Latin morsum (“a bit”), neuter of morsus, perfect passive participle of mordeo (“I bite”). Compare French morceau.

Pronunciation

edit

Noun

edit

morsel (plural morsels)

  1. A small fragment or share of something, commonly applied to food.
    • 1979, Roald Dahl, The Twits:
      By sticking out his tongue and curling it sideways to explore the hairy jungle around his mouth, he was always able to find a tasty morsel here and there to nibble on.
  2. A mouthful of food.
    • 1644, James Howell, England’s Teares, for the Present Wars, […], London: […] Richard Heron, →OCLC, page 4:
      Me thinks I ſee the Turke nodding vvith his Turban, and telling me that I ſhould thanke Heaven for that diſtance vvhich is betvvixt us, els he vvould ſvvallovv me all up at one morſell; […]
  3. A very small amount.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:modicum
    • 2008, Pamela Griffin, New York Brides, Barbour Publishing, →ISBN, page 70:
      Didn't even a morsel of decency remain in his brother?

Derived terms

edit
edit

Translations

edit

Further reading

edit

Verb

edit

morsel (third-person singular simple present morsels, present participle morseling or morselling, simple past and past participle morseled or morselled)

  1. (transitive) To divide into small pieces.
    Synonym: morselize
  2. (transitive, obsolete, rare) To feed with small pieces of food.

Anagrams

edit

Middle English

edit

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

Borrowed from Old French morsel, morsiel, morcel.

Pronunciation

edit

Noun

edit

morsel (plural morsels)

  1. small piece of food

Descendants

edit
  • English: morsel
  • Yola: mossaale

References

edit

Old French

edit

Alternative forms

edit

Etymology

edit

From Medieval Latin morsellum (“a bit, a little piece”), diminutive of Latin morsum (“a bit”), neuter of morsus, past participle of mordeō, mordēre (“bite, nibble, gnaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- (“to rub, wipe; to pack, rob”).

Pronunciation

edit

Noun

edit

morsel oblique singular, m (oblique plural morseaus or morseax or morsiaus or morsiax or morsels, nominative singular morseaus or morseax or morsiaus or morsiax or morsels, nominative plural morsel)

  1. morsel; bit; piece

Descendants

edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=morsel&oldid=79805460"