morceaun.

1748 T. Smollett Roderick Random I. vi. 31 A talent for poetry, which had already produced some morceaus.

1751 T. Smollett Peregrine Pickle I. iii. 22 He sat down and produced the following morceau.

1767 J. Beattie Let. 8 Jan. (1820) I. 39 I dare say Metastasio despises those little morceaux of sing-song.

1787 ‘A. Pasquin’ Children of Thespis ii. 52 She purloin'd the stool on which Kemble had writ,—The choicest morceaus of his Jesuit wit.

1832 Lady's Bk. July 43 The Raffaelle, a picture of the most exquisite beauty... His lordship..became the happy owner of this unrivalled morceau.

1840 Godey's Lady's Bk. Dec. 250/1 A cross-legged knight..one of the earliest efforts of sculpture in England... Entering the small chapel in which this precious morceau filled up the space under one of the largest and most ancient windows [etc.].

1889 J. K. Jerome Three Men in Boat viii. 119 We played morceaux from the old German masters.

1926 P. G. Wodehouse Heart of Goof vii. 219 I am..a poet... That little thing?.. A mere morceau. One of my juvenilia.

1960 Times 29 July 13/2 Surely it would be easy to intersperse congruent morceaux among lyric poems.

1991 Musical Q. Fall 289 In earlier programs, this fantasy had been variously called a ‘duo’, a ‘Triumphal march played on two pianos’, and a ‘morceau’ for two pianos.

1755 W. Mason Let. 27 June in T. Gray Corr. (1971) I. 423 Her person I will not attempt to describe But will endeavor to give you a morceau of Her Conversation.

1823 F. Witts Diary 11 Oct. (1978) 33 Mr. Tracy has combined in this structure..some of the most interesting morceaux of ancient gothic architecture from Oxford and other places.

1873 C. M. Yonge Pillars of House I. ix. 149 Any choice morceau of slang.

1877 L. W. M. Lockhart Mine is Thine (1879) iv. 39 One little morceau of scenery seems to lead naturally to the next.

1897 Cent. Mag. June 184/1 How unified and complete it is!.. Technically the work abounds in fine morceaux. The head of Shaw is admirably modeled.

1919 ‘K. Mansfield’ Let. 14 Nov. (1993) III. 96 I thought Wing as cleaner would be so good—in overalls you know, wiping his little nose box with a morceau of cotton waste.

1778 H. Brooke Charitable Assoc. i. ii. 212 The news, have you heard the news, Mr. Bustle? Bust. Yes, yes, ladies; and expected to have had the pleasure of dishing it up to you, as my own treat. But, I see Mr. Gadabout has been beforehand with me. But, ladies, I have a relishing morceau in reserve for you, however.

1830 M. Donovan Domest. Econ. II. iii. 145 The Ortolan is a small singing bird... It is the epicure's prime morçeau.

1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm II. 98 The piece of fat in it called the Pope's eye, is considered a delicate morceau by epicures.

1853 E. K. Kane U.S. Grinnell Exped. 130 The filet of a large Ivory [sea-gull] is a morceau between a spring chicken and our own unsurpassed canvas back.

1908 E. Field Second Bk. Verse 205 Upon a nice hot plate how does the juicy morceau steam!

1995 Independent on Sunday (Nexis) 5 Feb. 50 Toying with a glass of Pol Roger and a morceau of grilled scallop while you made your shopping decisions.