toast

[ tohst ]

/ toʊst /

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See synonyms for: toast / toasted on Thesaurus.com

noun

sliced bread that has been browned by dry heat.

verb (used with object)

to brown, as bread or cheese, by exposure to heat.

to heat or warm thoroughly at a fire: She toasted her feet at the fireplace.

verb (used without object)

to become toasted.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about toast

be toast, Slang. to be doomed, ruined, or in trouble: If you're late to work again, you're toast!

Origin of toast

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb tosten, from Old French toster, from Vulgar Latin tostāre (unattested), derivative of Latin tostus (from unattested torstos ), past participle of torrēre “to parch, roast”, akin to Gothic thaursus, Old Norse thurr “dry”; noun derivative of the verb; see also torrid;see origin at thirst

Other definitions for toast (2 of 2)

toast²

[ tohst ]

/ toʊst /

noun

a salutation or a few words of congratulation, good wishes, appreciation, remembrance, etc., uttered immediately before drinking to a person, event, etc.

a person, event, sentiment, or the like, in honor of whom another or others raise their glasses in salutation and then drink.

an act or instance of thus drinking: They drank a toast to the queen.

a call on another or others to drink to some person or thing.

a person who is celebrated as with the spirited homage of a toast: She was the toast of five continents.

verb (used with object)

to drink to the health of or in honor of; propose a toast to or in honor of.

to propose as a toast.

verb (used without object)

to propose or drink a toast.

Origin of toast

First recorded in 1690–1700; figurative use of toast¹ (noun); the name of a lady so honored was said to give flavor to the drink comparable to that given by spiced toast

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use toast in a sentence

Meredith will host a company-wide toast on Zoom next month to celebrate the achievements across various departments, a company spokesperson said.
Care packages replace canapés as Coronavirus cancels media holiday party extravagances|Max Willens|November 30, 2020|Digiday
A toaster only toasts, so technically it’s a single-use gadget.
Nine kitchen gifts that do one thing really well|Sara Chodosh|November 26, 2020|Popular-Science
I’ve used them to roast vegetables, make stuffing, toast nuts and more.
Harissa-glazed turkey legs with sweet potatoes deliver big flavor on a budget|Becky Krystal|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
I bake them slowly until they’re fragrant and golden, perfuming my apartment with the comforting scent of toast.
Homemade, seasoned breadcrumbs add crunch and flavor to pastas, vegetables and more|Jesse Szewczyk|October 30, 2020|Washington Post

I thought we could really use one big, collective drink, maybe a toast to human connection, in real life.
I Missed Bars. So I Built One in My Own Backyard.|Nick Heil|October 16, 2020|Outside Online
He orders a toasted bagel and asks to charge it to a room he is certainly not staying in.
I Watched a Casino Kill Itself: The Awful Last Nights of Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal|Olivia Nuzzi|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A shot of the Moutai brand delightfully produced a toasted hazelnut flavor cloud in my mouth.
The Most Powerful Liquor in the World|Kayleigh Kulp|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Our own children, at their most rebellious age, believe in the first two things we toasted.
Up To A Point: My Problem With People Who Agree With Me|P. J. O’Rourke|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Skinnier hawkers stealthily circulate cooking queijo cualho (toasted cheese on a stick) in makeshift tin kettles.
The Girl From Ipanema Is Not Alone: Rio’s Famous Beach Is A Rich, Cultural Kaleidoscope|Brandon Presser|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
House Republicans propose using tons of highly nutritional toasted wheat to replace food-stamp program in new Farm Bill.
P.J. O’Rourke on Pot, Putin, and Polygamy|P. J. O’Rourke|January 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Over this we toasted bits of meat on the end of a splinter, and presently our hunger was appeased.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
But it was to be noticed that Scattergood toasted his bare toes a great deal during the ensuing days.
Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland
Beside her lay a clean bit of bark containing a broiled deer-steak, toasted bread, and a cup of tea.
Blazed Trail Stories|Stewart Edward White
We sat up as long as we pleased and toasted our feet, and in zero weather even wrapped up a hot brick to take to our chilly beds.
Girls and Women|Harriet E. Paine (AKA E. Chester}
One, two, or three slices of bread toasted dark brown, but not burned.
The Mother and Her Child|William S. Sadler

British Dictionary definitions for toast (1 of 2)

toast¹

/ (təʊst) /

noun

sliced bread browned by exposure to heat, usually under a grill, over a fire, or in a toaster

be toast informal to face certain destruction or defeat

verb

(tr) to brown under a grill or over a fireto toast cheese

to warm or be warmed in a similar mannerto toast one's hands by the fire

Word Origin for toast

C14: from Old French toster, from Latin tōstus parched, baked from torrēre to dry with heat; see thirst, torrid

British Dictionary definitions for toast (2 of 2)

toast²

/ (təʊst) /

noun

a tribute or proposal of health, success, etc, given to a person or thing by a company of people and marked by raising glasses and drinking together

a person or thing honoured by such a tribute or proposal

(esp formerly) an attractive woman to whom such tributes are frequently madeshe was the toast of the town

verb

to propose or drink a toast to (a person or thing)

(intr) to add vocal effects to a prerecorded track: a disc-jockey techniqueSee also rap 1 (def. 6)

Derived forms of toast

toaster, noun

Word Origin for toast

C17 (in the sense: a lady to whom the company is asked to drink): from toast 1,from the idea that the name of the lady would flavour the drink like a piece of spiced toast

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with toast

toast

see warm as toast.

toast

Idioms about toast

Origin of toast

Other definitions for toast (2 of 2)

Origin of toast

Words related to toast

How to use toast in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for toast (1 of 2)

Word Origin for toast

British Dictionary definitions for toast (2 of 2)

Derived forms of toast

Word Origin for toast

Other Idioms and Phrases with toast