Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Toast?

\Toast\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Toasted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Toasting}.] [OF. toster to roast, toast, fr. L. torrere, tostum, to parch, roast. See {Torrid}.] 1. To dry and brown by the heat of a fire; as, to toast bread. 2. To warm thoroughly; as, to toast the feet. 3. To name when a health is proposed to be drunk; to drink to the health, or in honor, of; as, to toast a lady.
\Toast\, n. [OF. toste, or tost['e]e, toasted bread. See {Toast}, v.] 1. Bread dried and browned before a fire, usually in slices; also, a kind of food prepared by putting slices of toasted bread into milk, gravy, etc. My sober evening let the tankard bless, With toast embrowned, and fragrant nutmeg fraught. --T. Warton. 2. A lady in honor of whom persons or a company are invited to drink; -- so called because toasts were formerly put into the liquor, as a great delicacy. It now came to the time of Mr. Jones to give a toast . . . who could not refrain from mentioning his dear Sophia. --Fielding. 3. Hence, any person, especially a person of distinction, in honor of whom a health is drunk; hence, also, anything so commemorated; a sentiment, as ``The land we live in,'' ``The day we celebrate,'' etc. {Toast rack}, a small rack or stand for a table, having partitions for holding slices of dry toast.