frustum (noun N) :
* A piece, bit (syn.: fragmentum, segmentum).
* 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.
* 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.

s. TLL