morsel

1 of 2

noun

mor·​sel ˈmȯr-səl 

1

: a small piece of food : bite

2

: a small quantity : fragment

3

a

: a tasty dish

b

: something delectable and pleasing

4

: a negligible person

morsel

2 of 2

verb

morseled or morselled; morseling or morselling

transitive verb

: to divide into or distribute in small pieces

Synonyms

Noun

• bite
• mouthful
• nibble
• nugget
• taste
• tidbit
• titbit

Examples of morsel in a Sentence

Noun

the chef's cuisine is so good that diners will want to savor every morsel

searching for any morsel of useful information

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Surprise, surprise, each morsel was tender, rich and singing with deliciousness with every single bite. —Caroline Dolby, theweek, 5 Nov. 2024

How decayed, what species of plant, how rapidly consumed, which morsels might prove restorative, how much time should be dedicated to resting and dreaming? —John Kinsella, The New York Review of Books, 31 Oct. 2024

Verb

The actual act of killing gets morseled out as a tension-creating Big Reveal, fodder for flashforwards and cliffhangers. —Darren Franich, EW.com, 28 May 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, diminutive of mors bite, from Latin morsus, from mordēre to bite — more at mordant

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

morsel

noun

mor·​sel

ˈmȯr-səl

1

: a small piece of food : bite

2

: a small quantity or piece

Etymology

Noun

Middle English morsel "a small piece of food," from early French morsel (same meaning), from mors "a bite," derived from Latin morsus, past participle of mordēre "to bite" — related to remorse see Word History at remorse