toaster

¹ American  

[toh-ster] / ˈtoʊ stər /

noun

1. an instrument or appliance for toasting bread, muffins, etc.

2. a person who toasts something.

---

toaster ² American  

[toh-ster] / ˈtoʊ stər /

noun

1. a person who proposes or joins in a toast to someone or something.

---

toaster British  

/ ˈtəʊstə /

noun

1. a device for toasting bread, usually electric, and often equipped with an automatic timer

---

Etymology

Origin of toaster¹

First recorded in 1575–85; toast ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of toaster²

First recorded in 1695–1705; toast ² + -er ¹

Explanation

A toaster is a device in your kitchen that you use, surprisingly enough, to make toast. You can toast bread in an oven instead, but it's easier with a toaster. The pop-up toaster was invented in 1921, and those of us who prefer our bread warm and crispy are glad. Before the electric toasters we're familiar with (and their relatives, small plug-in toaster ovens), toast was made by putting bread slices inside long-handled metal frames and holding them over a fire. You can also use this noun to mean "person giving a toast," but this is less common.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

toaster

In his review last year, my colleague Tim Higgins said the car shares more design cues “with a toaster than K.I.T.T. from TV’s ‘Knight Rider.’”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

"They started coming from everywhere, from the wi-fi router, under the kettle, the toaster and all the switchboards. We would cook and they would keep coming from the sockets, from under the microwave."

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

The clunky machine had around the same amount of computing power as a modern-day toaster.

From MarketWatch ● May 23, 2026

Plucky home qualifier Maddison Inglis plans to do a bit of shopping with her unexpected Australian Open windfall -- and a toaster and kettle top her wish list.

From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026

On the stove sits a teakettle he has never filled with water, and on the countertop a toaster he’s never plugged in.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri