toast

¹ American  

[tohst] / toʊst /

noun

1. sliced bread that has been browned by dry heat.

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verb (used with object)

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

2. to heat or warm thoroughly at a fire.

   She toasted her feet at the fireplace.

verb (used without object)

1. to become toasted.

idioms

1. be toast, to be doomed, ruined, or in trouble.

   If you're late to work again, you're toast!

toast ² American  

[tohst] / toʊst /

noun

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

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

3. an act or instance of thus drinking.

   They drank a toast to the queen.

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

5. a person who is celebrated as with the spirited homage of a toast.

   She was the toast of five continents.

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verb (used with object)

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

2. to propose as a toast.

verb (used without object)

1. to propose or drink a toast.

toast ¹ British  

/ təʊst /

noun

1. 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

2. a person or thing honoured by such a tribute or proposal

3. (esp formerly) an attractive woman to whom such tributes are frequently made

   she was the toast of the town

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verb

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

2. (intr) to add vocal effects to a prerecorded track: a disc-jockey technique See also rap 1

toast ² British  

/ təʊst /

noun

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

2. informal to face certain destruction or defeat

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verb

1. (tr) to brown under a grill or over a fire

   to toast cheese

2. to warm or be warmed in a similar manner

   to toast one's hands by the fire

toast More Idioms  

1. see warm as toast.

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Other Word Forms

• toaster noun

Etymology

Origin of toast¹

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; torrid; thirst ( def. )

Origin of toast²

First recorded in 1690–1700; figurative use of toast ¹ (noun); the name of a lady so honored was said to give flavor to the drink comparable to that given by spiced toast

Example Sentences

With drinks at the ready, we toast to our chance meeting.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

"One old lady pays me with a pint mug of tea and two slices of toast".

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

In 2023, #WhitePeopleMeals trended on RedNote as Chinese users posted combinations like raw carrots wrapped in cheese, plain bread and ham, and avocado toast.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

Meanwhile — and this is where my favorite engineering happens — toast the breadcrumbs.

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026

Wynn forced a smile and a slice of toast on me before I could leave for the Fabric Barn.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Related Words

• crisp
• dry
• grill
• roast
• warm