morel meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

morel

noun

UK, US /məˈɹɛl/

Etymology Borrowed from French morille (compare Picard merouille, meroule (“morel, mushroom”)), from Middle High German morhel, morchel (“edible fungus, morel”), from Old High German morhila (“edible root”), diminutive of Proto-West Germanic *morhā (“tree root, plant root”), from Proto-Germanic *murhǭ, *murhijǭ (“edible root”), from Proto-Indo-European *mork- (“tuber, edible herb”). Akin to German Morchel (“morel”), Middle Low German morke (“mushroom, morel”), German Möhre (“carrot”). Equivalent to dialectal more (“carrot, root”) + -el (diminutive suffix).

A true morel; any of several fungi in the genus Morchella, the upper part of which is covered with a reticulated and pitted hymenium.

Derived terms: black morel, white morel, yellow morel, false morel, snow morel

morel

noun

Etymology From Middle English morel, morell, from Anglo-Norman and Old French morel, morele, morelle and their etymon Medieval Latin maurella, morella, from Late Latin maurus, morus (“black”) + Latin -ella (diminutive suffix).

Archaic Synonym of morello (“type of cherry”).

The insects which injure the morel cherry-trees so much in Pennsylvania, I perceive, here occasionally act in the same way upon the branches of the wild cherry […]1821, Thomas Nuttall, A journal of travels into the Arkansa Territory, page 122:

Certain plants or genera Solanum, Atropa, and Aralia, with dark, cherry-like berries.

It exists in both these plants, but whilst the leaves of the last one contain it in some quantity, none is found in those of the morel.1836, François Magendie, A Formulary for the Preparation and Medical Administration of Certain New Remedies, page 142:

Derived terms: great morel, morello, petty morel

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.