different between mite vs morsel

English

Etymology

From Middle English mite, from Old English m?te (“mite, tiny insect”), from Proto-Germanic *m?t? (“biting insect”, literally “cutter”), from *maitan? (“to cut”), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“small”) or *mai- (“to cut”). Akin to Old High German m?za (“mite”), Middle Dutch m?te (“moth, mite”), Dutch mijt (“moth, mite”), Danish mide (“mite”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: m?t, IPA^(key): /ma?t/
• Rhymes: -a?t
• Homophone: might

Noun

mite (plural mites)

1. Any of many minute arachnids which, along with the ticks, comprise subclass Acarina (aka Acari).
2. A small coin formerly circulated in England, rated at about a third of a farthing.
   • 1803, William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

     One mite wrung from the lab'rer's hands

     Shall buy and sell the miser's lands;

3. A lepton, a small coin used in Palestine in the time of Christ.
4. A small weight; one twentieth of a grain.
5. (sometimes used adverbially) Anything very small; a minute object; a very little quantity or particle
6. (colloquial, often used affectionately) A small or naughty person, or one you take pity on; rascal
   • 2014, Lorraine F Elli, The Little Town Mouse

     “Tom told me that, but twasn't your fault, the little mite just couldn't wait to be born that's all.” A small smile played on Leah's lips

Synonyms

• (small amount): see also Thesaurus:modicum.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

mite

1. Eye dialect spelling of might.

Anagrams

• -time, METI, emit, it me, item, time

Au

Noun

mite

1. woman

References

• transnewguinea.org, citing D. C. Laycock, Languages of the Lumi Subdistrict (West Sepik District), New Guinea (1968), Oceanic Linguistics, 7 (1): 36-66

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin mythos

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /?mi.t?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /?mi.te/

Noun

mite m (plural mites)

1. myth

Related terms

• mític
• mitologia

Further reading

• “mite” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

French

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French mitte (“kind of insect which gnaws on cloth or cheese”), from Middle Dutch m?te (“moth, mite”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *m?t? (“biting insect”, literally “cutter”), from *maitan? (“to cut”).

Akin to Old English m?te (“mite, tiny insect”), Old High German m?za (“mite”), Danish mide (“mite”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mit/

Noun

mite f (plural mites)

1. mite (arachnid)
2. moth, particularly one whose larva destroys something stored by humans

Derived terms

• antimite

Related terms

• chenille f
• papillon m
• teigne f (“clothes moth”)
• pyrale f (“meal moth”)

Verb

mite

1. first-person singular present indicative of miter
2. third-person singular present indicative of miter
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of miter
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of miter
5. second-person singular imperative of miter

Further reading

• “mite” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• émit, émît

Italian

Etymology

From Latin m?tis (“mild, mature”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?mi.te/

Adjective

mite (plural miti)

1. mild
2. moderate (price)
3. balmy, mild (climate)

4. meek (animal)

Anagrams

• temi

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?mi?.te/, [?mi?t??]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?mi.te/, [?mi?t??]

Adjective

m?te

1. nominative neuter singular of m?tis
2. accusative neuter singular of m?tis
3. vocative neuter singular of m?tis

References

• mite in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• mite in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers

Norman

Etymology

From Old French mitte (“kind of insect which gnaws on cloth or cheese”), from Middle Dutch m?te (“moth, mite”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *m?t? (“biting insect”, literally “cutter”).

Noun

mite f (plural mites)

1. (Jersey) mite

Volapük

Noun

mite

1. dative singular of mit

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