1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Morse

MORSE, the ornamented brooch by which a cope is fastened. The usual form is a large circular clasp made of gold or silver and studded with jewels. A 14-century “morse” ornamented with translucent enamel is in the British Museum. The word comes through the O. Fr. mors, from the Lat. morsus, the catch of a buckle, from mordere, to bite.