milk-toast

[milk-tohst]

adjective

easily dominated; extremely mild; ineffectual; namby-pamby; wishy-washy.

noun

milquetoast.

Origin of milk-toast

First recorded in 1815–25

milk toast

noun

toast, usually buttered, served in hot milk with sugar or with salt and pepper.

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 of milk-toast

“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.
Miss Ravenel's conversion from secession to loyalty
J. W. de Forest
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.
The Secret of a Happy Home (1896)
Marion Harland