morsel

American  

[mawr-suhl] / ˈmɔr səl /

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.

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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 British  

/ ˈmɔːsəl /

noun

1. a small slice or mouthful of food

2. a small piece; bit

3. informal a term of endearment for a child

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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; -elle

Example Sentences

Isaac, always the responsible older brother, gives Jacob and me a little extra of his portion, and we accept those morsels gratefully.

From Literature

The opossum sniffs around, finds a morsel I missed, and slips it into his jaws.

From Literature

However, morsels of social freedom do nothing to change a worsening economic situation that is the biggest concern for most of the population, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is because over time it builds up a wider picture by piecing together the morsels it may extract from a wide range of people.

From BBC

When she had licked the last bloodred morsels of borscht from her whiskers, the wolf swept her shining eyes ’round the room.

From Literature

Related Words

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