different between chunk vs morsel

English

Etymology

Variant of chuck; or alternatively a diminutive of chump (“chunk; block”) +? *-k (diminutive suffix) (compare hunk from hump, etc.).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t????k/
• Rhymes: -??k

Noun

chunk (plural chunks)

1. A part of something that has been separated.

   The statue broke into chunks.
2. A representative portion of a substance, often large and irregular.

   a chunk of granite

3. (linguistics, education) A sequence of two or more words that occur in language with high frequency but are not idiomatic; a bundle or cluster.

   examples of chunks would include "in accordance with", "the results of", and "so far"

4. (computing) A discrete segment of a file, stream, etc. (especially one that represents audiovisual media); a block.
   • 1994, Paul J Perry, Multimedia developer's guide

     The first DWORD of a chunk data in the RIFF chunk is a four character code value identifying the form type of the file.

5. (comedy) A segment of a comedian's performance.

Translations

See also

• piece
• bit
• lump
• chuck
• hunk

Further reading

• chunk in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• chunk in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Verb

chunk (third-person singular simple present chunks, present participle chunking, simple past and past participle chunked)

1. (transitive) To break into large pieces or chunks.
2. (transitive) To break down (language, etc.) into conceptual pieces of manageable size.
3. (transitive, slang, chiefly Southern US) To throw.

Derived terms

• dechunk
• microchunk
• rechunk

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, past participle of mordere (“to bite”). Compare French morceau.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m??s?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?m??s?l/
• Rhymes: -??(?)s?l

Noun

morsel (plural morsels)

1. 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.

2. A mouthful of food.
3. A very small amount.
   • 2008, Pamela Griffin, New York Brides, Barbour Publishing Inc. (2008), ?ISBN, page 70:

     Didn't even a morsel of decency remain in his brother?

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:modicum.

Derived terms

• morselize, morselization

Related terms

• mordant
• remorse

Translations

Further reading

• morsel in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• morsel in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• “morsel”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “morsel”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• Merlos, Morels, morels, smoler

Middle English

Alternative forms

• morselle, morsille, morssel, morscel, morcelle, mursel

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French morsel, morsiel, morcel.

Noun

morsel (plural morsels)

1. 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 morde?, mord?re (“bite, nibble, gnaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *mer?- (“to rub, wipe; to pack, rob”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mur?s?l/

Noun

morsel 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)

1. morsel; bit; piece

Descendants

• English: morsel
• French: morceau
• Norman: morcé (Jersey, Guernsey)
• Hungarian: morzsa