I. ˈtōst verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English tosten, from Middle French toster, from Late Latin tostare to roast, from Latin tostus, past participle of torrēre to dry, parch — more at thirst
transitive verb
1. obsolete : to make thoroughly hot and dry by or as if by the action of fire or the sun
2.
a. : to make (as bread) crisp, hot, and brown by the action of heat
a toasted cheese sandwich
toast the bread very dark
b. : to warm thoroughly usually before a fire
toasting his toes on the fender
intransitive verb
: to become toasted
stale bread toasts best
usually : to warm thoroughly
sitting toasting in the sun
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English toste, toost, from tosten, v.
1.
a. : a slice or piece of toasted bread — used in the phrase as warm as a toast
b. : sliced bread browned on both sides by a source of heat
c. : food prepared with toasted or other recooked bread — see french toast , milk toast
d. : a light brown that is yellower and deeper than blush and stronger and slightly darker than cork — compare toast brown
2.
[so called from the fact that pieces of spiced toast were used to flavor drinks]
a. archaic : a young woman in whose honor admirers drink : one such whose health is frequently proposed because of her beauty or charm
b. : a person whose health is drunk ; broadly : something in honor of which persons drink : a sentiment that is drunk to
c. : a person who is the subject of public adulation
as preacher at Notre Dame Cathedral, was the toast of Paris — E.O.Hauser
the unquestioned toast of the season was the English soprano — Information Please Almanac
3.
[ toast (III) ]
: an act of proposing or of drinking in honor of a toast
a dinner without toasts
III. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: toast (II)
transitive verb
: to propose or drink to as a toast : drink to the health or in honor of
toast the flag
the two antagonists were toasting each other's health — Mary K. Hammond
intransitive verb
: to drink toasts : propose a toast
IV. noun
: a rhyming narrative poem existing in oral tradition among black Americans
• toast intransitive verb
• toaster noun