# toast

/ˈtoʊst/ (US) · /tˈəʊst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/toast
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. browned bread

noun · CEFR A1

sliced bread that has been made brown and crisp by heating it.

For teachers: bread that has been sliced and subjected to radiant heat until the surface undergoes the Maillard reaction, becoming crisp and brown.

- She spread some strawberry jam on her hot toast.
- The hotel breakfast buffet offered a variety of artisanal breads suitable for making toast, accompanied by local preserves and salted butter.

### 2. a drinking salutation

noun · CEFR B1

the act of raising a glass and drinking together to honour someone or celebrate something.

For teachers: a call to a gathering to drink together in honour of a person or an event, often accompanied by a short speech.

- The best man proposed a toast to the happy couple.
- After the keynote speech, the host invited the guests to raise their glasses for a toast to the company's twentieth anniversary.

### 3. finished or doomed

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · American English

someone or something that is in a lot of trouble or will soon be destroyed.

For teachers: a person or object that is considered finished, defeated, or beyond repair.

- If I don't finish this report by five o'clock, I'm toast.
- Once the main engine failed over the Atlantic, the pilot knew the aircraft was toast without an immediate emergency landing.

### 4. software notification

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a small message that pops up on a computer or phone screen for a short time.

For teachers: a small, non-modal informational window that appears briefly on a user interface to provide feedback about an operation.

- A small toast appeared at the bottom of the screen saying the file was saved.
- The developer implemented a toast notification to alert users when their background upload had successfully completed.

### 5. to brown bread

verb · CEFR A2

to heat bread until it becomes brown and crisp.

For teachers: to brown or crisp bread or other food by exposure to heat.

- You should toast the bagels before you put the cream cheese on them.
- The recipe suggests you toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for a few minutes to release their natural oils.

### 6. to drink in honour of

verb · CEFR B1

to drink to the health or success of someone.

For teachers: to drink a beverage as a tribute to a person, institution, or event.

- We all stood up to toast the retiring teacher.
- The ambassadors gathered in the grand hall to toast the signing of the new peace treaty.

## Examples

- I usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast.
- She spread a thick layer of orange marmalade over her toast while the coffee was still brewing.
- The golden-brown toast provided a necessary textural contrast to the soft poached eggs and creamy avocado served alongside it.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.