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milk-toast

[milk-tohst]
adjective
  1. easily dominated; extremely mild; ineffectual; namby-pamby; wishy-washy.
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noun
  1. milquetoast.
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Origin of milk-toast

First recorded in 1815–25

milk toast

noun
  1. toast, usually buttered, served in hot milk with sugar or with salt and pepper.
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Origin of milk toast

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55
Can be confusedmilk toast milquetoast
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for milk-toast

Historical Examples

  • “Try and eat some of this milk-toast, mother; it's real nice,” urged Elmira.

    Jerome, A Poor Man

    Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

  • It looked very nice: milk-toast, and baked apples, and poached eggs, and a cup of nice cocoa.

    Nelly's Silver Mine

    Helen Hunt Jackson

  • He was promoted to the milk-toast table, and then to the apple-sauce table.

  • I have my little dish of milk-toast, but I thought the pie would be just right for you young people.

    Hildegarde's Holiday

    Laura E. Richards

  • Then eat slowly a little light food, such as milk-toast or very hot beef-tea.