toast
TOHST
/toʊst/
An act of proposing that friends or colleagues raise their glasses and drink together in honor of someone.
Combines a short speech of praise or good wishes with a shared ritual drink.
The story behind the word. In the 17th century, it was customary to drop a piece of spiced toasted bread into spiced wine or ale to improve the drink's flavor and soak up sediment. The person being honored in whose name the drink was consumed became known as the 'toast'.
Word relationships
- tribute: A tribute is a broader term for honoring someone; a toast is a specific drinking ritual paired with brief remarks.
Commonly confused with
- roast: A roast involves poking good-natured fun at someone, whereas a toast focuses primarily on praise and good wishes.
Word family
- toasted (verb (past)): Honored through a toast.
- toasting (verb (participle)): The act of offering a toast.
Collocations
- propose a toast
- raise a toast
- drink a toast
- toast to someone
Idioms & expressions
- toast of the town
Example sentences
- "The managing partner raised his glass to propose a heartfelt toast to the retiring engineer." Retirement banquet
- "They all toasted her future health and happiness in her upcoming retirement." Social gathering
Memory hook
Imagine dropping a piece of warm toast into a cup of cheer to make it sweeter. Raising a glass and warm wishes for a colleague.
When not to use
Do not confuse with heated bread when speaking in social or ceremonial contexts.
Fun facts
- The phrase 'toast of the town' originated because popular individuals were likened to spiced toast adding flavor to the social party.
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