Word
morsel
US/ˈmɔɹsəɫ/
UK/mˈɔːsəl/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a very small piece of food, or a small amount of something good. You use it when there is only a little to eat or enjoy.
n. a small piece or quantity of food; by extension, a small amount of anything valued or sought.
Examples
“She saves every morsel of cake for later.”
“The dog waits under the table, hoping for a morsel of chicken to fall.”
“He found not a morsel of truth in the long report, only vague promises dressed as facts.”
Examples
simple
“She saves every morsel of cake for later.”
contextual
“The dog waits under the table, hoping for a morsel of chicken to fall.”
complex
“He found not a morsel of truth in the long report, only vague promises dressed as facts.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “morsel” in context.
Verb
01. feed on morsel
“The sparrow fed on a morsel fallen from the bench.”
verb + prep + noun
02. nibble morsel
“The mouse nibbled the morsel of bread in the corner.”
verb + noun
03. offer morsel
“She offered the beggar a morsel of bread and cheese.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. choice morsel
“He offered his guest a choice morsel of cheese.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. morsel of bread
“She gave the duck a morsel of bread from her sandwich.”
noun + prep + noun
06. morsel of comfort
“Her kind words offered a small morsel of comfort.”
noun + prep + noun
07. morsel of food
“He had not eaten a morsel of food since morning.”
noun + prep + noun
08. morsel of gossip
“Tabloids thrive on every morsel of gossip about celebrities.”
noun + prep + noun
09. a morsel of comfort
“In difficult times, even a morsel of comfort helps.”
10. every last morsel
“The hungry boy devoured every last morsel on his plate.”
11. not a morsel left
“The dogs ate quickly, leaving not a morsel left.”
12. savour every morsel
“Eat slowly and savour every morsel of this fine meal.”
Real-World Examples
“It's likely you've already chewed and swallowed some tasty morsel today.” “All of these innovations made it possible to digest larger and tougher morsels, a process we just carried on through the invention of cooking.” “Essentially, the big shark became so large because of the sheer abundance of fatty prey, not necessarily the giant size of the morsels it consumed.” “The morsel, barely bigger than a coffee bean, is supposed to be the flavor equivalent of a 70%-80% dark chocolate.” 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 (“to bite”). Compare French morceau, whence the English doublet morceau.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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