# morsel
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English morsel, from Old French morsel, from Medieval Latin morsellum (“a bit, a little piece”), diminutive of Latin morsum (“a bit”), neuter of morsus, perfect passive participle of mordeo (“I bite”). Compare French morceau, whence the English doublet morceau.

### Pronunciation

* (UK) IPA: /ˈmɔːsəl/
* (US) IPA: /ˈmɔɹsəl/
** Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)səl

### Noun

morsel (plural morsels)
* A small fragment or share of something, commonly applied to food.
** 1979, Roald Dahl, The Twits:By sticking out his tongue and curling it sideways to explore the hairy jungle around his mouth, he was always able to find a tasty morsel here and there to nibble on.
* A mouthful of food.
** 1644, James Howell, England’s Teares, for the Present Wars, […], London: […] Richard Heron, →OCLC, page 4:Me thinks I ſee the Turke nodding vvith his Turban, and telling me that I ſhould thanke Heaven for that diſtance vvhich is betvvixt us, els he vvould ſvvallovv me all up at one morſell; […]
* A very small amount.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:modicum
** 2008, Pamela Griffin, New York Brides, Barbour Publishing, →ISBN, page 70:Didn't even a morsel of decency remain in his brother?

#### Derived terms

* morselization
* morselize
* Adam's morsel

#### Related terms

* mordant
* remorse

#### Further reading

* “morsel”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
* “morsel”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
* “morsel”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
* Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “morsel”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

### Verb

morsel (third-person singular simple present morsels, present participle morseling or morselling, simple past and past participle morseled or morselled)
* (transitive) To divide into small pieces.
    Synonym: morselize
* (transitive, obsolete, rare) To feed with small pieces of food.

### Anagrams

* Merlos, Morels, morels, smoler

## Middle English
### Alternative forms

* morselle, morsille, morssel, morscel, morcelle, mursel

### Etymology

Borrowed from Old French morsel, morsiel, morcel.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmɔrsəl/

### Noun

morsel (plural morsels)
* small piece of food

#### Descendants

* English: morsel
* Yola: mossaale

#### References

* “morsel, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

## Old French
### Alternative forms

* morcel

### Etymology

From Medieval Latin morsellum (“a bit, a little piece”), diminutive of Latin morsum (“a bit”), neuter of morsus, past participle of mordeō, mordēre (“bite, nibble, gnaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- (“to rub, wipe; to pack, rob”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /muɾˈsɛl/

### Noun

morsel oblique singular, m (oblique plural morseaus or morseax or morsiaus or morsiax or morsels, nominative singular morseaus or morseax or morsiaus or morsiax or morsels, nominative plural morsel)
* morsel; bit; piece

#### Descendants

* Middle French: morceau
** French: morceau
*** → English: morceau
* Norman: morcé (Jersey, Guernsey)
* → Hungarian: morzsa
* → Middle English: morsel, morselle, morsille, morssel, morscel, morcelle, mursel
** English: morsel
** Yola: mossaale