morsure

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French morsure, from Latin mordere, morsum (“to bite”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɔː(ɹ)sjʊə(ɹ)/, /ˈmɔː(ɹ)ʃə(ɹ)/

Noun

morsure (countable and uncountable, plural morsures)

1. (archaic) The act of biting.
   • 1710, Jonathan Swift, A Discourse concerning the Mechanical Operation of the Spirit:

     all invention is formed by the morsure of two or more of these animals, upon certain capillary nerves, which proceed from thence, whereof three branches spread into the tongue, and two into the right hand.

References

• “morsure”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Rumores

French

Etymology

From mors +‎ -ure.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔʁ.syʁ/

• Audio:

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Noun

morsure f (plural morsures)

1. bite (act of biting)
   • 2015 January, Virginie Despentes, Vernon Subutex, volume 1, Éditions Grasset, →ISBN, page 393:

     La pluie a cédé à un froid de lame de rasoir mais il a dû choper la fièvre, sous la morsure du froid sa peau le brûle littéralement.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. bite (wound that is the result of being bitten)

Related terms

• mordre

Further reading

• “morsure”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Latin

Participle

morsūre

1. vocative masculine singular of morsūrus