Morse, mors, n. the metal fastening of the cope, generally of precious metal, ornamented with jewels—also Pectoral. [L. morsus, a bite.]
Morse, mors, n. (coll.) the Morse-code signalling of telegraph operators, from Sam. F. B. Morse (1791-1872).—Morse alphabet, a system of symbols to be used in telegraphic messages where Morse's indicator is used, consisting of dots and dashes combined in different ways to indicate the different letters.
Morsel, mor′sel, n. a bite or mouthful: a small piece of food: a small quantity of anything which is divided.—ns. Mor′sūre, the act of biting; Mor′sus, a bite. [O. Fr. morsel (Fr. morceau, It. morsello), dim. from L. morsus—mordēre, morsum, to bite.]
Morsing-horn, mor′sing-horn, n. the small horn that used to hold the fine powder used for priming. [Fr. amorcer, to prime a gun.]
Mort, mort, n. death: a flourish sounded at the death of a buck, & c., in hunting.
Mort, mort, n. a great number or amount of anything.
Mort, mort, n. (slang) a woman.
Mortal, mor′tal, adj. liable to die: causing death: deadly: fatal: punishable with death: involving the penalty of spiritual death, as opposed to Venial: extreme, violent, implacable: human: (coll.) very great, very long, confounded, very drunk.—n. a human being.—v.t. Mor′talise, to make mortal.—n. Mortal′ity, condition of being mortal: death: frequency or number of deaths, esp. in proportion to population: the human race.—adv. Mor′tally—(coll.) Mor′tal.—ns. Mort′-cloth, a pall; Mort′-stone, a stone by the wayside on which the bearers lay the bier for a rest during a funeral procession.—Bills of mortality, lists of the numbers of those who have died in any place during any given time; Law of mortality, rules founded on experience or calculation, showing what average proportion of those living at the beginning of a given time will be surviving at its close. [Fr.,—L. mortalis—mori, to die.]
Mortar, mor′tar, n. a vessel in which substances are pounded with a pestle: a short and very thick piece of artillery of large calibre, firing a heavy shell at a fixed angle of 45° or thereabouts, so as to strike vertically: a cement of lime, sand, and water, used to bind together stones or bricks in building.—v.t. to close up or in as with mortar: to pound in a mortar.—n. Mor′tar-board, a square board with a handle beneath for holding mortar which the workman is using: a square-crowned academic cap. [A.S. mortere—L. mortarium, a mortar.]
Mortgage, mor′gāj, n. a conditional conveyance of or lien upon land or other property as security for the performance of some condition, as the payment of money, becoming void on the performance of the condition: the act of conveying, or the deed effecting it.—v.t. to pledge as security for a debt.—ns. Mortgagee′, one to whom a mortgage is made or given; Mort′gager. [O. Fr., mort, dead, gage, a pledge.]