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

Whatever your food goals, you’re bound to find at least a few morsels of wisdom in some of our favorite nutrition articles of 2024. —Caroline Hopkins Legaspi, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024

But reprimanding you because your child didn’t eat every morsel on her plate seems extreme. —Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 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