morel

¹ American  

[muh-rel] / məˈrɛl /

noun

1. any edible mushroom of the genus Morchella, especially M. esculenta.

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morel ² American  

[muh-rel] / məˈrɛl /

Or morelle

noun

1. any of several nightshades, especially the black nightshade.

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Morel ³ American  

[maw-rel, maw-rel] / mɔˈrɛl, mɔˈrɛl /

noun

1. Jean 1903–75, French orchestra conductor.

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morel British  

/ mɒˈrɛl /

noun

1. any edible saprotrophic ascomycetous fungus of the genus Morchella, in which the mushroom has a pitted cap: order Pezizales

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Etymology

Origin of morel¹

1665–75; < French, Middle French morille, perhaps < Vulgar Latin *maurīcula, derivative of Medieval Latin maurus brown, dark-colored; see morel ², -cule ¹

Origin of morel²

1350–1400; Middle English morel ( l ) e < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin maurella, equivalent to maur ( us ) brown, dark-colored (adj. use of Latin Maurus Moor ) + -ella -elle

Explanation

A morel is a delicious, but strange-looking, mushroom. These fungi are considered delicacies, and you're most likely to find morels on the menu of a very fancy restaurant. There are several varieties of these distinctive mushrooms, which have pitted or honeycombed caps, though there's disagreement about which can be considered true morels. The most sought-after of these tasty fungi grow wild in forests across the Northern Hemisphere, although they're also cultivated as part of a multimillion-dollar industry. French restaurants and gourmet cooks pay over 20 dollars per pound for morels. A possible source of morel, and the French morille, is a Germanic word meaning "root."

Example Sentences

According to Outdoor Life, morel season kicks off in March, ending early in the South but stretching into June in the Midwest and Northeast.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2025

And like the community’s morel mushrooms that seem to grow well over shallow, hastily dug graves, there’s a sense of mulchy inevitability about it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025

Hollow is a good sign—that means the morel is safe to eat.

From National Geographic • May 30, 2023

The homeliest dish on the menu — sepia-toned braised chicken — is among the best in part because of the swell of cream, morel mushrooms and vin jaune enveloping the tender chicken.

From Washington Post • Apr. 21, 2023

Suddenly, morel hunting didn’t sound like much fun.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan