morsel

1 of 2

noun

mor·​sel ˈmȯr-səl 

1

: a small piece of food : bite

2

: a small quantity : fragment

a morsel of information

his last remaining morsel of self-respect

3

a

: a tasty dish

b

: something delectable and pleasing

The concert included some choice morsels.

4

: a negligible person

This ancient morsel …

—William Shakespeare

morsel

2 of 2

verb

morseled or morselled; morseling or morselling

transitive verb

: to divide into or distribute in small pieces

Synonyms of morsel

Noun

• mouthful
• bite
• taste
• nibble

Examples of morsel in a Sentence

Noun

the chef's cuisine is so good that diners will want to savor every morsel

searching for any morsel of useful information

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And in Cedar Key, the bounty doesn’t travel far—salty morsels are harvested here and served within hours, often simply steamed or lightly seasoned to allow the sheer freshness to be the star of the culinary show. —Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 1 May 2026

Mix dark chocolate morsels into cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, or a smoothie. —Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 29 Apr. 2026

Verb

The actual act of killing gets morseled out as a tension-creating Big Reveal, fodder for flashforwards and cliffhangers. —Darren Franich, EW.com, 28 May 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, diminutive of mors bite, from Latin morsus, from mordēre to bite — more at mordant

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for morsel

• dorsal

Kids Definition

morsel

noun

mor·​sel

ˈmȯr-səl

1

: a small piece of food : bite

2

: a small quantity or piece

Etymology

Noun

Middle English morsel "a small piece of food," from early French morsel (same meaning), from mors "a bite," derived from Latin morsus, past participle of mordēre "to bite" — related to remorse see Word History at remorse