different between spark vs morsel

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: spärk, IPA^(key): /sp??k/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: späk, IPA^(key): /sp??k/
• Rhymes: -??(?)k
• Homophone: SPARC

Etymology 1

From Middle English sparke, sperke, from Old English spearca, from Proto-Germanic *sprakô (compare Dutch spark and sprank, Middle Low German sparke), from Proto-Indo-European *sperg- (“to strew, sprinkle”) (compare Breton erc’h (“snow”), Latin sparg? (“to scatter, spread”), sparsus (“scattered”), Lithuanian sprógti (“to germinate”), Ancient Greek ??????? (spargá?, “to swell”), Avestan ????????????????????????????????????????? (frasparega, “branch, twig”), Sanskrit ??????? (parjanya, “rain, rain god”)).

Noun

spark (plural sparks)

1. A small particle of glowing matter, either molten or on fire.
2. A short or small burst of electrical discharge.
3. A small, shining body, or transient light; a sparkle.
4. (figuratively) A small amount of something, such as an idea or romantic affection, that has the potential to become something greater, just as a spark can start a fire.
   • , Book IV, Chapter XVII

     But though we have, here and there, a little of this clear light, some sparks of bright knowledge

   • 2013, Phil McNulty, "[1]", BBC Sport, 1 September 2013:

     Everton's Marouane Fellaini looks one certain arrival but Moyes, who also saw United held to a draw by Chelsea at Old Trafford on Monday, needs even more of a spark in a midfield that looked laboured by this team's standards.

5. Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the Indomalayan genus Sinthusa.
6. (in plural sparks but treated as a singular) A ship's radio operator.
7. (Britain, slang) An electrician.

Synonyms

• (small particle of glowing matter): ember, gnast, funk
• (small amount of something, such as an idea, that has the potential to become something greater): beginnings, germ, glimmer

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Esperanto: sparko

Translations

Verb

spark (third-person singular simple present sparks, present participle sparking, simple past and past participle sparked)

1. (transitive, figuratively) To trigger, kindle into activity (an argument, etc).
2. (transitive) To light; to kindle.
   • 2009, Alex Jenson, The Serotonin Grand Prix (page 12)

     Byron sparked the cigarette. He sucked it dramatically and thrust it into Marko's hand.

3. (intransitive) To give off a spark or sparks.

Derived terms

• spark off
• sparkle

Translations

Etymology 2

Probably Scandinavian, akin to Old Norse sparkr (“sprightly”).

Noun

spark (plural sparks)

1. A gallant; a foppish young man.

   • The finest sparks and cleanest beaux.

   • Jones had no sooner quitted the room, than the petty-fogger, in a whispering tone, asked Mrs Whitefield, “If she knew who that fine spark was?”

2. A beau, lover.

Verb

spark (third-person singular simple present sparks, present participle sparking, simple past and past participle sparked)

1. (intransitive) To woo, court; to act the gallant or beau.

Synonyms

• make love, romance, solicit; see also Thesaurus:woo

Derived terms

• sparkish
• sparker

References

• Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967

Anagrams

• K-spar, Karps, Parks, Praks, parks

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse spark, verbal noun to sparka (“to kick”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spark/, [sb?????]

Noun

spark n (singular definite sparket, plural indefinite spark)

1. kick

Inflection

Verb

spark

1. imperative of sparke

Faroese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spa??k/

Noun

spark n (genitive singular sparks, plural spørk)

1. kick

Declension

Derived terms

Icelandic

Etymology

From sparka (“to kick”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?spar?k/
• Rhymes: -ar?k

Noun

spark n (genitive singular sparks, nominative plural spörk)

1. kick

Declension

Middle English

Noun

spark

1. Alternative form of sparke

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

spark n (definite singular sparket, indefinite plural spark, definite plural sparka or sparkene)

1. a kick (with a foot)

Derived terms

• brassespark
• frispark
• hjørnespark
• straffespark

Related terms

• sparke

Verb

spark

1. imperative of sparke

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

spark n (definite singular sparket, indefinite plural spark, definite plural sparka)

1. a kick (with a foot)

Derived terms

• brassespark
• frispark
• hjørnespark
• straffespark

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse spark, from sparka (“to kick”).

Noun

spark c

1. kick
2. kicksled; short for sparkstötting

Declension

Anagrams

• karps, parks, skarp

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