frass
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of frass
1850–55; originally, the refuse and excrement of boring or leaf-eating insects < German Frass insect damage, corrosion, noun from base of fressen to eat (of animals); see fress, fret 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Kenya, Project Mila is a social enterprise using fly larvae to tackle Mombasa's mounting food waste problem, while also supplying frass as fertiliser to local farmers.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2025
One example is the skipper caterpillar, which can shoot solid pellets of its waste, known as frass, over a distance up to 38 times its body length to keep predators off its tail.
From Scientific American ● Feb. 28, 2023
Composted frass led to a 12% increase in plant-nourishing soil organic matter, something that otherwise declines over time, according to the company's research.
From Reuters ● Jan. 30, 2023
But it will have an aesthetic benefit, and it may make sitting beneath the trees in June less repulsive by reducing the excreted frass dropping from above.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 13, 2022
Paranal forks: two lateral, bristle-like structures in some caterpillars, used to throw frass pellets to a distance.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by John. B. Smith
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