frass

noun

ˈfras 

: debris or excrement produced by insects

Examples of frass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Any squash plant that wilts overnight should be inspected; look for entrance holes at the base of plants and the presence of sawdust-like frass. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2025

Look for Argentine ant nests in shallow mounds and carpenter ant nests in tree stumps and other wood with sawdust-like frass deposits nearby. —Barbara Robertson, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2025

Byproducts of these insects, like frass (insect excrement), serve as nutrient-rich organic fertilizers, improving soil health and reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers, thus fostering a more sustainable agricultural ecosystem. —Oyku Ilgar, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

The researchers on this new paper found that younger forests had less frass, indicating fewer insects, than the older forests. —Ethan Freedman, Popular Science, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

German, insect damage, literally, eating away, from Old High German vrāz food, from frezzan to devour — more at fret

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frass

• ass
• bass
• bras
• brass
• casse
• chasse
• class
• crass
• das
• dass
• gas
• lass