̈ɪtəust n. & v. --n. 1
bread in slices browned on
both sides by
radiant heat. 2 a a
person (orig.
esp. a woman) or
thing in
whose honour a
company is requested to
drink. b a
call to drink or an
instance of drinking in
this way. --v. 1 tr.
cook or
brown (bread, a
teacake, cheese, etc.) by radiant heat. 2 intr. (of bread etc.)
become brown in this way. 3 tr.
warm (one's
feet,
oneself, etc.) at a
fire etc. 4 tr. drink to
the health or in honour of (a person or thing). øhave a person on toast colloq. be in a
position to deal
with a person as
one wishes. toasting-fork a long-handled
fork for making toast
before a fire. toast rack a rack for
holding slices of toast at
table. [ME (orig. as verb) f. OF toster
roast, ult. f. L torrere tostparch:
sense 2 of the
noun reflects the
notion that a woman's
name flavours the drink as spiced toast would]