Forms: see TOAST v.1 [f. TOAST v.1 Cf. OF. tostée (13th c.) toast = Sp. tostada (:—pop.L. *tostāta).]
1. (With a and pl.) A slice or piece of bread browned at the fire: often put in wine, water, or other beverage. Now rare or Obs. except as in b.
c. 1430. Two Cookery-bks. (E.E.T.S.), 12. Oyle Soppys … caste þer-to Safroune, powder Pepyr, Sugre, and Salt, an serue forth alle hote as tostes.
c. 1450. Cov. Myst., xix. (1841), 183. Ther is no lord lyke on lyve to me wurthe a toost.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., N j. Gyue hym a toste with wyne.
1573. L. Lloyd, Marrow of Hist. (1653), 94. Alphonsus … took a toast out of his cup, and cast it to the dog.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., III. v. 3. Go, fetch me a quart of Sacke, put a tost in ’t.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 53. All within the sound of Bow-Bell, are in reproch called Cocknies, and eaters of buttered tostes.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1688), IV. 489. This Drink … must be attended with a brown Tost.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 24, ¶ 8. A Toast in a cold Morning, heightened by Nutmeg, and sweetn’d with Sugar, has for many Ages been given to our Rural Dispensers of Justice, before they enter’d upon Causes.
1735. Dict. Polygraph., s.v. China, A very dry toast.
1769. Mrs. Raffald, Eng. Housekpr. (1778), 291. Amulet…. You may serve them up hot on buttered toasts.
b. As the type of what is hot or dry.
[c. 1430: see above.]
1546. J. Heywood, Prov. (1867), 44. Loue had apeered in him to hir alway Hotte as a toste.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, V. Pantagr. Prognost., x. Keep your selves as hot as Toasts, d’ye hear?
1842. J. Wilson, Chr. North, I. 83. The small brown Moorland bird, as dry as a toast.
1883. Stevenson, Silverado Sq., 21. It keeps this end of the valley as warm as a toast.
2. As a substance (without a or pl.): Bread so browned by fire. (The ordinary current use.)
1730. Swift, Panegyrick on Dean, Wks. 1755, IV. I. 144. Sweeten your tea, and watch your toast.
1786. Mackenzie, Lounger, No. 89, ¶ 10. Putting him in mind where the toast stood.
1806. Med. Jrnl., XV. 454. The diet … consisted of tea and toast.
1807–26. S. Cooper, First Lines Surg. (ed. 5), 15. The patient … confining himself to vegetable diet, gruels, slops, tea, acidulated drinks, dry toast, &c.
1886. Ruskin, Præterita, I. iii. 84. Quarrelling with her which should have the brownest bits of toast.
b. Coupled with the liquid in which the toast is immersed, as ale and toast, toast and ale, toast and water; whence toast-and-watered adj., confined to a diet of toast and water.
[1586. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 47. How I drunk vp my grandams ale and toste.]
1719. D’Urfey, Pills (1872), II. 324. Many a Night o’er Toast and Ale.
1778. Mme. D’Arblay, Diary (1842), I. 97. Our biscuits and toast-and-water, which make the Streatham supper.
1800. Med. Jrnl., IV. 313. I then directed her to live on toast and water exclusively.
1810. Byron, Lett. to Hodgson, 3 Oct. What can a helpless, feverish, toast-and-watered … wretch do?
1888. Mrs. H. Ward, R. Elsmere, xliv. Lunch was on the table—the familiar commons, the familiar toast-and-water.
c. On toast, served up on a slice of toast; fig. had on toast (slang), done, swindled.
1842. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. II. St. Medard. Delicate Woodcocks served up upon toast.
1886. St. James’s Gaz., 6 Nov. (Farmer). The High Court … took judicial cognizance of a quaint and pleasing modern phrase … ‘to be had on toast.’
1889. D. C. Murray, Danger. Catspaw, 273. We’ve got him now on toast.
1895. J. G. Millais, Breath fr. Veldt (1899), 259. Thinking he had fairly got us on toast, he meant to blackmail us pretty freely.
† 3. fig. (usually old toast). One who drinks to excess, a soaker, a boon companion; a brisk old fellow fond of his glass. slang. Obs.
1668. R. L’Estrange, Vis. Quev., 306. How often must I be put to the Blush too, when every Old Toast shall be calling me Old Acquaintance.
c. 1670. Cotton, Voy. Irel., III. 128. There comes in my Host, A Catholick, good, and a rare drunken Tost.
a. 1688. Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), Confer. (1775), 184.
1694. Motteux, Rabelais, V. xviii. Most of ’em of good Families; among the rest Harry Cottiral, an old Tost.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Old-Toast, a brisk old Fellow.
1709. [E. Ward], Rambling Fuddle-Caps, 14. Bring my father a Quart, I’ll be hang’d if ’twill do the old Toast any hurt.
4. attrib. and Comb., as toast-burner, -crumb, -fork; toast-color, a light brown; so toast-colored adj.; † toast-iron, a toasting-iron; toast-stand, a stand for toast, etc., by the fire: see CAT sb.1 9, quot. 1806; toast-water, water in which toasted bread has been steeped, used as a drink for invalids, etc. Also TOAST-RACK.
1483. Cath. Angl., 390/2. A Toste yren (A. Tostyrne), assatorium.
1801. Nemnich, Waaren-Lexicon 687/1. Toast forks, Rōtgabeln, Tohstgabeln.
1895. Q. Rev., Oct., 283. Cobbed by his fagmaster as an incorrigible toast-burner.
1898. Daily News, 5 May, 2/2. A toast-coloured straw toque trimmed with pink ribbon and roses. Ibid. (1900), 20 Jan., 6/5. Toast colour is again included among the fashionable tints.
1905. Daily Chron., 18 Dec., 4/6. Why should not toast-water become the temperance beverage for [drinking the health of the King]?
