morel

M3O1R1E1L1
UK, US/məˈɹɛl/

noun

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

Similar
Less commonScrabble 7

Meanings

morel1

nounmorel (plural morels)

plural morels · alternative morell · alternative moril

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

morel2

nounmorel (plural morels)

plural morels

  1. archaicSynonym 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

    Synonyms: morello

  2. 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

Morel3

proper nounMorel (plural Morels)

plural Morels · alternative Morell · alternative Morill · alternative Morrell · alternative Morrill

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSynonym of morello (“type of cherry”).

Similar

Origin

morel · noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mork-“tuber, edible herb”
  2. Proto-Germanic*murhǭ
  3. Proto-West Germanic*morhā“tree root, plant root”
  4. Old High Germanmorhila“edible root”
  5. Middle High Germanmorhel
  6. Frenchmorille
  7. Englishmorel

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).

Full word history & related roots →

morel · noun

  1. Latin-ella
  2. Late Latinmaurus, morus“black”
  3. Medieval Latinmaurella, morella
  4. Anglo-Norman and Old Frenchmorel, morele, morelle
  5. Middle Englishmorel, morell
  6. Englishmorel

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).

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Morel · proper noun

  1. Old Frenchmore“dark”
  2. LatinMaurus“Moor”
  3. Late LatinMaurellus
  4. EnglishMorel

From French, Spanish and English surname, from the personal name Morel, a derivative of Late Latin Maurellus, from Latin Maurus (“Moor”). See also Mauro, Moreau. In French, sometimes directly from Old French more (“dark”), from the same word. Compare also More, Morell.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans morielje
  • morieljegenus Morchella
Arabic غَوْشَنَة
  • غَوْشَنَة (ḡawšana)genus Morchella
Bulgarian смръ́чкула, бучка гъба
  • смръ́чкула (smrắčkula)genus Morchella
  • бучка гъба (bučka găba)common morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Catalan múrgola
  • múrgolacommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Chinese Mandarin 羊肚菌
  • 羊肚菌 (yángdǔjùn)genus Morchella
Czech smrž, smrž obecný
  • smržgenus Morchella
  • smrž obecnýcommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Dutch morielje
  • morieljegenus Morchella
Esperanto morkelo
  • morkelogenus Morchella
Finnish huhtasieni, pallohuhtasieni
  • huhtasienigenus Morchella
  • pallohuhtasienicommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
French morille
  • morillegenus Morchella
German Morchel, Speisemorchel
  • Morchelgenus Morchella
  • Speisemorchelcommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
  • Speise-Morchelcommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
  • Rundmorchelcommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
  • Rund-Morchelcommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Hungarian kucsmagomba
  • kucsmagombagenus Morchella
Irish morchal, morchal coiteann
  • morchalgenus Morchella
  • morchal coiteanncommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Italian spugnola
  • spugnolagenus Morchella
Japanese 網笠茸, アミガサダケ
  • 網笠茸common morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
  • アミガサダケ (amigasa-dake)common morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Latvian lāčpurns
  • lāčpurnscommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Lithuanian briedžiùkas
  • briedžiùkasgenus Morchella
Norwegian Bokmål morkel
  • morkelgenus Morchella
Persian غوشنه
  • غوشنه (γušane)genus Morchella
Polish smardz, smardz jadalny
  • smardzgenus Morchella
  • smardz jadalnycommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Portuguese morquela
  • morquelagenus Morchella
Romanian zbârciog
  • zbârcioggenus Morchella
Russian сморчо́к, сморчок съедо́бный
  • сморчо́к (smorčók)genus Morchella
  • сморчок съедо́бный (smorčok sʺjedóbnyj)common morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Slovak smrž, smrčok
  • smržgenus Morchella
  • smrčokgenus Morchella
Spanish colmenilla, colmena
  • colmenillagenus Morchella
  • colmenagenus Morchella
  • morillagenus Morchella
  • múrgolgenus Morchella
  • cagarriagenus Morchella
Swedish murkla, rund toppmurkla
  • murklagenus Morchella
  • rund toppmurklacommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Turkish kuzugöbeği, kuzugöbeği
  • kuzugöbeğigenus Morchella
  • kuzugöbeğicommon morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Ukrainian змо́ршок, зморшок їстівний
  • змо́ршок (zmóršok)genus Morchella
  • зморшок їстівний (zmoršok jistivnyj)common morel or yellow morel, Morchella esculenta
Welsh morel
  • morelgenus Morchella

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with morel

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Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

morel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/morel

MLA

“morel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/morel. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “morel,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/morel.

Source: morel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.