frass

American  

[fras] / fræs /

noun

1. insect excrement.

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frass British  

/ fræs /

noun

1. excrement or other refuse left by insects and insect larvae

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

frass

Also, their manure, known as frass, can be used as fertiliser.

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

I have seen entire cases reduced to labelled pins standing among Dermestid beetle frass.

From Practical Taxidermy A manual of instruction to the amateur in collecting, preserving, and setting up natural history specimens of all kinds. To which is added a chapter upon the pictorial arrangement of museums. With additional instructions in modelling and artistic taxidermy. by Montagu Browne

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