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milquetoast
[ milk-tohst ]
/ ˈmɪlkˌtoʊst /
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noun (sometimes initial capital letter)
a very timid, unassertive, spineless person, especially one who is easily dominated or intimidated: a milquetoast who's afraid to ask for a raise.
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Also called Caspar Milquetoast.
Origin of milquetoast
1935–40, Americanism; after Caspar Milquetoast, a character in The Timid Soul, comic strip by H. T. Webster (1885–1952), American cartoonist
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH milquetoast
milk toast, milquetoastWords nearby milquetoast
Milosevic, Slobodan, Milosz, milpa, milphosis, Milpitas, milquetoast, M.I.L.R., milreis, Milroy's disease, Milstein, milt
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use milquetoast in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for milquetoast
milquetoast
/ (ˈmɪlkˌtəʊst) /
noun
US and Canadian a meek, submissive, or timid person
Word Origin for milquetoast
C20: from Caspar Milquetoast, a cartoon character invented by H. T. Webster (1885–1952)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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