morsel

[mawr-suhl]

noun

1. a bite, mouthful, or small portion of food, candy, etc.

2. a small piece, quantity, or amount of anything; scrap; bit.

3. something very appetizing; treat or tidbit.

4. a person or thing that is attractive or delightful.

verb (used with object)

1. to distribute in or divide into tiny portions (often followed byout ).

   to morsel out the last pieces of meat.

morsel

/ ˈmɔːsəl /

noun

1. a small slice or mouthful of food

2. a small piece; bit

3. informal,  a term of endearment for a child

Word History and Origins

Origin of morsel¹

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; -elle

Word History and Origins

Origin of morsel¹

C13: from Old French, from mors a bite, from Latin morsus, from mordēre to bite

Example Sentences

The main course, a whole fried sea bream, served with a ginger fish sauce caramel, peanuts, herbs, lemon, and wild pepper leaves to delicately wrap each fried morsel, truly blew me away.

From Salon

To feed, each bird spins on the surface, kicking water outward to create a whirling upwelling that brings morsels to its needle-like bill.

From Los Angeles Times

Allow yourself to feel that same sweetness in your heart, knowing that with every morsel of happiness that any one human experiences, the entire vibration of the planet is raised.

From Los Angeles Times

Or build a composed salad on top of it — say, a swoop of purée topped with Little Gem, toasted pistachios, shards of Manchego and morsels of dried cherries.

From Salon

The chewy morsels come sopping in soy sauce and flecked with chile flakes, with a rich and juicy meat filling.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chunk 
• crumb 
• hunk 
• mouthful 
• snack 
• tidbit