morsel
UK[ˈmɔːs(ə)l]US[ˈmɔːrs(ə)l]
n
A small piece or amount of food.
n
A small piece or amount of something.
Etymology
The word 'morsel' entered English in the late 13th century from Anglo-Norman French morsel, itself a diminutive form derived from the Latin morsus, meaning "a bite." Morsus comes from the past participle of the verb mordēre, "to bite." The logic of its formation is beautifully literal: a morsel is etymologically "a little bite." This concrete sense of a small piece of food, shaped by the action of biting, has endured. Over time, its meaning broadened metaphorically to refer to any small piece or fragment of something non-edible, while retaining its core association with a tiny, consumable portion.
Analysis
This word is a loanword from Anglo-Norman French and is not productively formed from separable English morphemes. Its core, mors-, originates from the Latin verb mordēre meaning "to bite."
Examples
She broke off a morsel of bread and dipped it in the soup.
He offered a morsel of useful advice during the meeting.
The documentary provided only a morsel of information about the ancient civilization.