Dictionary

toast en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /təʊst/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /toʊst/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /təʉst/ (Australia)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ters- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *tr̥stós Proto-Italic *torstos Latin tostus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Late Latin tostō Old French tosterbor. Middle English tostendeverb. Middle English tost English toast From Middle English tost, from the verb tosten (see below). Etymology 1 sense 3 is according to the Oxford English Dictionary a figurative application of etymology 1 sense 1 dating to 1674. It began as an epithet for a lady being supposed to flavour a bumper like a spiced toast placed in that drink. (In this context, a bumper is a drinking vessel filled to the brim.)

Meanings

1. (uncountable) Bread that has been toasted (cooked lightly by browning).
   • I ate a piece of toast for breakfast.
   • This toast and marmalade tastes heavenly.
   • Tea was a very special institution, revolving as it did around the ceremony and worship of Toast. In [public schools] where alcohol, tobacco and drugs were forbidden, it was essential that something should take their place as a powerful and public totem of virility and cool. Toast, for reasons lost in time, was the substance chosen. 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, page 23:
2. (countable) A proposed salutation (e.g. saying "cheers") while drinking alcohol.
   • The evening meal was "a repast of most recherché description," involving an endless series of toasts to almost everybody (with the notable exception of the other railway already serving Brentford, which came in for some hard knocks from various speakers). 1960 February 14, R. K. Kirkland, “The Great Western and Brentford Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 79:
   • At the reception, there were many toasts from the well-wishers.
3. (countable) A person, group, or notable object to which a salutation with alcohol is made; a person or group held in similar esteem.
   • Josephine Baker did not become the toast of Paris by just shaking her booty for some theater gypsies as a party wound down. 2014 May 28, John McWhorter, “Saint Maya”, in The New Republic, →ISSN:
   • He was the toast of high society.
4. (US, slang, uncountable) Something that is irreparably damaged or used up, especially when destroyed by heat or fire; something which has been burnt to a crisp or incinerated.
   • The metal frame survived the fire, but the plastic and rubber bits are toast.
5. (US, slang, uncountable) Something that will be no more; something subject to impending destruction, harm or injury.
   • to become/be toast
   • You are going to be toast if you don't submit your school project on time.
   • In the script, as the Ghostbusters train their proton blasters on Gozer, Murray's character says, "That's it! I'm gonna turn this guy into toast." By the time the scene was shot, the filmmakers had decided the human form of Gozer should be played by the model Slavitza Jovan. Murray improvised various comments about her, including changing the line in the script to "This chick is toast." The Oxford English Dictionary recognizes Murray's ad-lib as the earliest known occurrence of "toast" with the modern meaning, calling the usage "proleptic." Ben Zimmer (22 June 2023), “'Toast': From Busting Ghosts to Burning Careers”, in The Wall Street Journal, New York, N.Y.: Dow Jones & Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 Jun 2023:
   • If I ever get my hands on the guy that stole my wallet, he’s toast!
   • He [P. Hegseth] said the Iranian regime “are toast, and they know it, or at least soon enough, they will know it.” 2026 March 4, Joseph Gedeon, quoting Pete Hegseth, “Pete Hegseth says Iranian regime is ‘toast’ as US expands military offensive”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
6. (Jamaica, countable, slang) A type of extemporaneous narrative poem or rap.
7. (countable, obsolete, slang) An old toast ("a lively fellow who drinks excessively").
8. (countable) A transient, informational pop-up overlay, less interactive than a snackbar.
   • With the new Windows Push Notification Service, you can remotely send notifications from a cloud-based web service. In Windows 8, the majority of the Toast messages are standard duration toasts. 2012, Nick Lecrenski, Doug Holland, Allen Sanders, Professional Windows 8 Programming:
9. (countable, qualifier:obsolete outside India) A piece of toast.
   • Go, fetch me a quart of Sacke, put a toſt in't. c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v], page 52, column 1:

Forms

Deriveds

cheese on toast · toastmaster · milktoast · toast sandwich · loyal toast · prawn toast · toastmistress · Rocky Mountain toast · toastie · whatever butters your toast · tongue toast · French toast · avocado toast · shit on toast · burn one's toast · toast Hawaii · toastmaker · freedom toast · toastless · toast rack · toast of the town · kaya toast · toastee · warm as toast · toaster · shrimp toast · comatoast · milk toast · tea and toast syndrome · burnt toast theory · have someone on toast · beans on toast · brick toast · toast notification · watched toast never burns · anchovy toast · sunshine toast · honey toast · tiger toast · Texas toast · toast water · toast point · pizza toast · garlic toast · Shibuya toast · toastcrumb · toastlike

Descendants

多士 · тост · toost · тост · τοστ · toast · tost · toast · Toast · トースト · tōhi · 吐司 · toast · 토스트 · tost · toast · toast · toust · тост · טוסט · toste · toast · toast · тост · tost

Relateds

torrent · torrid

Synonyms

dead meat · dead duck · pledge

Translations (146)

pl toast (salutation while drinking alcohol) · th ขนมปังปิ้ง (toasted bread) · de Toast (toasted bread) · no toast (toasted bread) · nl heildronk (salutation while drinking alcohol) · mk тост (toasted bread) · uk грі́нка (toasted bread) · ms roti panggang (toasted bread) · cmn 烤吐司 (toasted bread) · fr toast (salutation while drinking alcohol) · gd slàinte (salutation while drinking alcohol) · it brindisi (salutation while drinking alcohol) · fi maljapuhe (salutation while drinking alcohol) · he הרמת כוסית (salutation while drinking alcohol) · mn хайрсан талх (toasted bread) · ka გახუხული პური (toasted bread) · de Tischrede (salutation while drinking alcohol) · tr tost (toasted bread) · sk hrianka (toasted bread) · uz tost (toasted bread) · fi paahtoleipä (toasted bread) · fo snerkt breyð (toasted bread) · gl rebanda (toasted bread) · ja 祝杯 (salutation while drinking alcohol) · yi טאָסט (salutation while drinking alcohol) · sl prepečenec (toasted bread) · grc ἀποπυρίας (toasted bread) · es pan tostado (toasted bread) · hy կենաց (salutation while drinking alcohol) · lt skrebutis (toasted bread) · de Toastbrot (toasted bread) · sv rostat bröd (toasted bread) · bg препе́чена фили́я (toasted bread) · tr kadeh kaldırma (salutation while drinking alcohol) · ka დაბრაწული პური (toasted bread) · de Toast (salutation while drinking alcohol) · mi tōhi (salutation while drinking alcohol) · nrf pain rôti (toasted bread) · ru гре́нка (toasted bread) · csb przëpitk (salutation while drinking alcohol) · fr toast (toasted bread) · cs topinka (toasted bread) · cmn 吐司 (toasted bread) · bg тост (salutation while drinking alcohol) · pt brinde (salutation while drinking alcohol) · it pane tostato (toasted bread) · nv kindę́ę́ʼ bááh diniiltsxoigo (toasted bread) · ga tósta (toasted bread) · ca torrada (toasted bread) · cs toust (toasted bread) · gl torrada (toasted bread) · cmn 敬酒 (salutation while drinking alcohol) · et toost (salutation while drinking alcohol) · cmn 祝酒 (salutation while drinking alcohol) · fur brustulâ (toasted bread) · sh двопек (toasted bread) · he טוסט (toasted bread) · da skål (salutation while drinking alcohol) · be тост (salutation while drinking alcohol) · scn san Brasi (salutation while drinking alcohol) · cmn 多士 (toasted bread) · nrf pôin tôtaï (toasted bread) · sh dvopek (toasted bread) · io tosto (salutation while drinking alcohol) · eo rostpano (toasted bread) · vi bánh mì nướng (toasted bread) · is skál (salutation while drinking alcohol) · gl brinde (salutation while drinking alcohol) · es brindis (salutation while drinking alcohol) · fr pain grillé (toasted bread) · scn pròsita (salutation while drinking alcohol) · sv skål (salutation while drinking alcohol) · et röstsai (toasted bread) · ka ცეცხლზე დაბრაწული პური (toasted bread) · mk здравица (salutation while drinking alcohol) · sl zdravljica (salutation while drinking alcohol) · km នំប៉័ងអាំង (toasted bread) · la prōpīnātiō (salutation while drinking alcohol) · sh prepečenac (toasted bread) · sh здравица (salutation while drinking alcohol) · az sağlıq (salutation while drinking alcohol) · gd tòst (toasted bread) · is ristað brauð (toasted bread) · cy tost (toasted bread) · es tostada (toasted bread) · ca brindis (salutation while drinking alcohol) · sh zdravica (salutation while drinking alcohol) · mn шарсан талх (toasted bread) · vo tost (salutation while drinking alcohol) · ru грено́к (toasted bread) · pl tost (toasted bread) · uk тост (salutation while drinking alcohol) · he קלי (toasted bread) · be грэ́нка (toasted bread) · he לחיים (salutation while drinking alcohol) · no ristet brød (toasted bread) · sk prípitok (salutation while drinking alcohol) · ast turriada (toasted bread) · tr kızarmış ekmek (toasted bread) · de Röstbrot (toasted bread) · fr rôtie (toasted bread) · ast brinde (salutation while drinking alcohol) · hy բաժակաճառ (salutation while drinking alcohol) · sq dolli (salutation while drinking alcohol) · nl geroosterd brood (toasted bread) · uk тост (toasted bread) · sh препеченац (toasted bread) · scn pani arrustutu (toasted bread) · cmn 烤麵包 /烤面包 (toasted bread) · nl toost (toasted bread) · pl grzanka (toasted bread) · it toast (toasted bread) · bg наздравица (salutation while drinking alcohol) · fo skál (salutation while drinking alcohol) · el φρυγανιά (toasted bread) · ru тост (toasted bread) · ru здра́вица (salutation while drinking alcohol) · cs přípitek (salutation while drinking alcohol) · id roti panggang (toasted bread) · vo bod peloetöl (toasted bread) · alt тост (toasted bread) · mk двопек (toasted bread) · myv рестамокши (toasted bread) · sh tost (toasted bread) · hy տոստ (toasted bread) · ka სადღეგრძელო (salutation while drinking alcohol) · yue 多士 (toasted bread) · ko 축배 (salutation while drinking alcohol) · nl toost (salutation while drinking alcohol) · de Trinkspruch (salutation while drinking alcohol) · be тост (toasted bread) · io rostopano (toasted bread) · af heildronk (salutation while drinking alcohol) · fa نان تست (toasted bread) · eo tosto (salutation while drinking alcohol) · sh тост (toasted bread) · ja トースト (toasted bread) · ru тост (salutation while drinking alcohol) · ms roti bakar (toasted bread) · it crostino (toasted bread) · grc πρόποσις (salutation while drinking alcohol) · mi tōhi (toasted bread) · da ristet brød (toasted bread) · sl zdravica (salutation while drinking alcohol) · ko 토스트 (toasted bread) · pt torrada (toasted bread)

wikidata: Q154168 · wikipedia: Oxford English Dictionary · wikidata: Q6128

toast en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /təʊst/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /toʊst/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /təʉst/ (Australia)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ters- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *tr̥stós Proto-Italic *torstos Latin tostus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Late Latin tostō Old French tosterbor. Middle English tosten English toast From Middle English tosten, from Old French toster (“to roast, grill”), from Late Latin tostō, -āre, frequentative of torreō (“to burn, grill”) from its perfect passive participle tostus (“grilled, burnt”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To cook lightly by browning by means of direct exposure to a fire or other heat source.
   • We used to enjoy toasting marshmallows around the campfire.
2. (intransitive, specifically) To cook lightly by browning under a grill or in a toaster; to grill.
   • Top with cheese and toast under the grill for a few minutes.
3. (ambitransitive) To engage in a salutation, often with raising of the drinking vessel, while drinking an alcoholic beverage in honor of someone or something.
   • We toasted the happy couple many times over the course of the evening.
   • You all have achieved so much together thus far, so I think that deserves a toast! Let's toast!
4. (transitive) To warm thoroughly.
   • I toasted my feet by the fire.
5. (Jamaica, slang) To perform an extemporaneous narrative poem or rap.
   • Toasting over a record does more than change the way that record is perceived by the audience: it creates a new piece of music with joint creative authorship, although the law does not support this characterization. 2014, Richard James Burgess, The History of Music Production, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 168:

Forms

Deriveds

toastable · toast up · retoast

Descendants

toasten · tosti

Translations (105)

ka დაბრაწვა (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · gl torrar (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · fi paahtaa (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · ms bakar (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · th ปิ้ง (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · ka გახუხვა (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · es torrar (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · scn tustari (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · it tostare (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · ast turriar (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · fr trinquer (to engage in a salutation) · grc προπίνω (to engage in a salutation) · ka შებრაწვა (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · pt torrar (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · pt brindar (to engage in a salutation) · scn scaudari (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · nl grillen (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · pt torrar (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · fi kilistää (to engage in a salutation) · ka დალოცვა (to engage in a salutation) · nl roosteren (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · fi paahtaa (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · is skála (to engage in a salutation) · es turrar (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · nrf rôti (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · mk потпекува (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · es tostar (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · fi esittää malja (to engage in a salutation) · qu hamk'ay (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · io rostar (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · pl opiekać (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · fi kohottaa malja (to engage in a salutation) · tr kadeh kaldırmak (to engage in a salutation) · fi juoda malja (to engage in a salutation) · ca brindar (to engage in a salutation) · aii ܨܲܘܹܐ (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · sv rosta (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · no skål (to engage in a salutation) · fr griller (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · th ดื่มอวยพร (to engage in a salutation) · mi whakatōhi (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · scn tustari (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · pl opiekać (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · ru поджа́ривать (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · es brindar (to engage in a salutation) · fr porter un toast (to engage in a salutation) · eo tosti (to engage in a salutation) · pl wznosić toast (to engage in a salutation) · pt tostar (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · kw krasa (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · mk наздравува (to engage in a salutation) · ka დღეგრძელობა (to engage in a salutation) · ja 乾杯 (to engage in a salutation) · la prōpīnō (to engage in a salutation) · scn fari nu San brasi (to engage in a salutation) · nl proosten (to engage in a salutation) · nl drinken op (to engage in a salutation) · ast brindar (to engage in a salutation) · kw krasa (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · nl toasten (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · gl brindar (to engage in a salutation) · fi nostaa malja (to engage in a salutation) · pl wznieść toast (to engage in a salutation) · th ปิ้ง (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · et röstima (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · is grilla (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · ast turriar (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · th ยกแก้ว (to engage in a salutation) · de auf jemandes Wohl trinken (to engage in a salutation) · fi skoolata (to engage in a salutation) · io tostar (to engage in a salutation) · sv skåla (to engage in a salutation) · ru поджа́рить (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · th ชนแก้ว (to engage in a salutation) · nl roosteren (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · es tostar (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · pl opiec (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · tr kızartmak (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · es torrar (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · de toasten (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · nl toasten (to engage in a salutation) · aii ܨܲܘܹܐ (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · gl torrar (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · is grilla (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · pl opiec (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · scn atturrari (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · de rösten (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · mi tōhi (to engage in a salutation) · fr griller (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · de anstoßen (to engage in a salutation) · es hacer un brindis (to engage in a salutation) · es turrar (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · mi whakatōhi (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · ca torrar (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · mk потпекува (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · is rista (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · pt tostar (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · de toasten (to engage in a salutation) · es brindar por (to engage in a salutation) · id bersulang (to engage in a salutation) · mi tōhi (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance) · io rostar (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · bg препичам (to lightly cook by browning over fire) · bg вдигам тост (to engage in a salutation) · scn scaudari (to lightly cook in a kitchen appliance)