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• morel
  morel

  noun

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

  noun

  Jean 1903–75, French orchestra conductor.

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

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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

See Examples For:

morel Morel

“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

She would sigh while describing the morel mushrooms and cream at Chez l’Ami Louis in Paris.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 6, 2023

"See? See? That's what you'll get! I meant that! There isn't a tribe for you any morel The conch is gone-" He ran forward, stooping.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

The Morel Corp. is building a stately eco dome on a remote Greek island: a refuge for plutocratic preppers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Morel added his department was keen to help retailers and shop landlords as much as they could.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2025

Messrs. Morel and White remind us that in an age as fractured as their own, Lincoln and Douglass upheld dignity and compassion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025

Ms Morel said: "Touring the private museum was fun, insightful, and a privilege. As the video shows, each piece holds stories that must be saved and shared."

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2024

I knew enough of the situation of the Morel family to be aware of the terrible blow which the imprisonment of their only support must inflict upon them, and I was equally distressed and indignant.

From The Mysteries of Paris, Volume 4 of 6 by Eugène Sue

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