morel

¹ American  

[muh-rel] / məˈrɛl /

noun

1. any edible mushroom of the genus Morchella, especially M. esculenta.

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morel ² American  

[muh-rel] / məˈrɛl /

Or morelle

noun

1. any of several nightshades, especially the black nightshade.

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Morel ³ American  

[maw-rel, maw-rel] / mɔˈrɛl, mɔˈrɛl /

noun

1. Jean 1903–75, French orchestra conductor.

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morel British  

/ mɒˈrɛl /

noun

1. any edible saprotrophic ascomycetous fungus of the genus Morchella, in which the mushroom has a pitted cap: order Pezizales

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Etymology

Origin of morel¹

1665–75; < French, Middle French morille, perhaps < Vulgar Latin *maurīcula, derivative of Medieval Latin maurus brown, dark-colored; see morel ², -cule ¹

Origin of morel²

1350–1400; Middle English morel ( l ) e < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin maurella, equivalent to maur ( us ) brown, dark-colored (adj. use of Latin Maurus Moor ) + -ella -elle

Explanation

A morel is a delicious, but strange-looking, mushroom. These fungi are considered delicacies, and you're most likely to find morels on the menu of a very fancy restaurant. There are several varieties of these distinctive mushrooms, which have pitted or honeycombed caps, though there's disagreement about which can be considered true morels. The most sought-after of these tasty fungi grow wild in forests across the Northern Hemisphere, although they're also cultivated as part of a multimillion-dollar industry. French restaurants and gourmet cooks pay over 20 dollars per pound for morels. A possible source of morel, and the French morille, is a Germanic word meaning "root."

Example Sentences

“When I started to discover the fresh morel concept, it was a whole other world. So I really do highly recommend them.”

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2025

And like the community’s morel mushrooms that seem to grow well over shallow, hastily dug graves, there’s a sense of mulchy inevitability about it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025

Hollow is a good sign—that means the morel is safe to eat.

From National Geographic • May 30, 2023

The homeliest dish on the menu — sepia-toned braised chicken — is among the best in part because of the swell of cream, morel mushrooms and vin jaune enveloping the tender chicken.

From Washington Post • Apr. 21, 2023

As soon as Ben announced he’d spotted his first morel, I began looking down.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan