I.a piece, bit (syn.: fragmentum, segmentum).
I. Lit., of food (class.): frusto panis conduci potest, vel uti taceat, vel uti loquatur, Cato ap. Gell. 1, 15, 10: “necesse est, offa objecta cadere frustum ex pulli ore cum pascitur,” Cic. Div. 1, 15, 27: “esculenta,” id. Phil. 2, 25 fin. (also ap. Quint. 9, 4, 44): “viscera pars in frusta secant, verubusque trementia figunt,” Verg. A. 1, 212: “lardi semesa frusta,” Hor. S. 2, 6, 85: “sunt qui frustis et pomis viduas venentur avaras,” id. Ep. 1, 1, 78: “capreae,” Juv. 11, 142: “nudum et frusta rogantem,” scraps, id. 3, 210: “solidae frusta farinae,” lumps, id. 5, 68; cf. 14, 128.—
II. Transf., in gen., a piece as a small part of a whole (very rare; “not in Cic.): unde soluta fere oratio, et e singulis non membris sed frustis collata, structura caret,” Quint. 8, 5, 27; “so (opp. membra),” id. 4, 5, 25; cf.: “philosophiam in partes, non in frusta dividam,” Sen. Ep. 89: “frusta pannorum,” rags, Amm. 15, 12, 2.—Comically: “frustum pueri,” you bit of a boy! Plaut. Pers. 5, 2, 68.
