English vocabulary · B2
Morsel
/ˈmɔːr.səl/ · n.
It means a very small piece of food — just one bite, or a tiny amount of something.
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Example sentences
- She gave the dog a small morsel of bread.
- He did not get a single morsel of food all day.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- morsus — a bite (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- BITE — one small mouthful (The Action)
- PIECE — a part of something (General & Neutral)
- SCRAP — small unwanted remainder (Leftover & Unwanted)
Words with the same root
morsus — a bite
- remorse — deep guilt that bites back
- mordant — sharply biting in tone
Lesson notes
Morsel. It means a very small piece of food — just one bite, or a tiny amount of something.
Similar words are bite, piece, and scrap. Use morsel when the amount is very small and you want to show how little it is.
She gave the dog a small morsel of bread. He did not get a single morsel of food all day.
From Latin. Morsus- means a bite. A single bite taken from something larger — that is a morsel.