morsel
Americannoun
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a bite, mouthful, or small portion of food, candy, etc.
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a small piece, quantity, or amount of anything; scrap; bit.
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something very appetizing; treat or tidbit.
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a person or thing that is attractive or delightful.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a small slice or mouthful of food
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a small piece; bit
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informal a term of endearment for a child
Etymology
Origin of morsel
1250–1300; Middle English < Old French, equivalent to mors a bite (< Latin morsum something bitten off, noun use of neuter of morsus, past participle of mordēre to bite) + -el < Latin -ellus diminutive suffix; see -elle
Explanation
A morsel is a small amount of something, a tid-bit, a sliver, usually of something of high-quality and much desired — like a morsel of dark chocolate or a morsel of secret information. Originally it referred specifically to food — a nineteenth century lady might partake of a "dainty morsel" to eat, for example. More often than not morsel now refers to non-food items: a morsel of good taste; a morsel of common sense, and, of course, most popular of all, a morsel of gossip. That's why, like all good food, all good gossip is juicy.
Vocabulary lists containing morsel
Eat Your Words
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Charlotte's Web
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"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 1–5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The cattle shortage has led companies to try to cut costs and scrape every morsel of meat off each cattle carcass.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
But for California readers, the most toothsome morsel involves Harris’ longtime frenemy, Gov. Gavin Newsom.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2025
"I'd lost every morsel of confidence that I possibly could have had," remembers Williams.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2025
“It makes a reality show out of William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan and Charles and Camilla. And we become glued to our phone screens for the next morsel of gossip.”
From Seattle Times • Feb. 8, 2024
She wanted to eat, to put a hand to a swollen belly, to wish that she’d never eaten a morsel and swear that she’d never eat again.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
