Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Morsel(l, Morcel(l, n. Also: morcele, morsal(l. [ME. (Cursor M.) and e.m.E. morsel(l, morcel(l, (ME. also (1297) mossel(l, (14th c.) mussel(l, OF. morsel a bite, also a blow, buffet.] 1. A morsel, mouthful, small piece (of food); also, a (tasty) item of food.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints iii. 368.
To quham I gyf now The morcel of bred of ȝow a1400 Ib. xxxii. 782.
Bot wes na best tuth wald set One thaim, a morcel for til ete a1400 Ib. vii. 646.
Morcele 1490 Irland Mir. I. 85/2.
Oure fadere Adam ete a bitter morsell 1490 Ib. 86/10. 1513 Doug. ii. iv. 25.
[The serpents] with thar cruell byt … tuke mony sary morcell 1513 Ib. xii. viii. 75.
The swallow … Gadderand the small morcellis … To bair hir byrdis chepand in thar nest 1513 Ib. vi. vi. 78. 1558-66 Knox II. 51.
Ane poore craftis man … haid bocht … ane gray laif and was eitting ane morsell of it(2) 1375 Barb. ix. 398.
Quhat sall we say Of our lordis of France that ay With gud morsellis farsis thair panch 1587 Carmichael Etym. 9.
Gleba, a peit, a lump, a morsel

b. fig. or in fig. context. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxii. 23.
Scho wes ane morsall of delyte 1558-66 Knox I. 220.
And so the Cardinall of Lorane gatt hir in his keping, a morsall, assuyre yow, meit for his awin mouth 1558-66 Ib. II. 380.
The Lady Erskin, a sweatt morsall for the devillis mouth c1639 Mure Psalmes cxlvii. 17.
His yce in flakes hee casteth forth Lyk morsells

2. A blow or buffet (on the mouth). a1500 King Hart 955.
Fule hardines, beir him this brokin brow And bid him bawldlie bind it with ane clout, For he hes gottin morsellis on the mow