toaster

Noun

toaster (plural toasters)

1. An electrical device for toasting food, typically sliced bread.
   • “Imagine this,” says an advertising consultant named Barry Lowenthal. “I’m a smart toaster, and I’m collecting data on how many times the toaster is used.” […] There are, of course, smart speakers (which roughly a quarter of American homes have) and smart thermostats, as well as smart thermometers...2018 December 18, Joe Pinsker, “The Coming Commodification of Life at Home”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 25 Jan 2019
2. A toasting fork.
3. (archaic) A fish ready for toasting.
   • [T]he tumult of the thousand different cries of the eager dealers, all shouting at the top of their voices, at one and the same time, is almost bewildering. […] "Come and look at 'em! here's toasters!" bellows one with a Yarmouth bloater stuck on a toasting-fork.1851, Henry Mayhew, “The London Street Markets on a Saturday Night”, in London Labour and the London Poor; […], volume I (The London Street-folk. Book the First.), London: [George Woodfall], →OCLC...
4. One who toasts (cooks lightly by browning).
5. One who toasts (engages in salute while drinking alcohol).
6. (US, slang) A firearm, especially a pistol.
   • The renegade, you been afraid I penetrate pop culture / Bring 'em a lot closer to the block where they pop toasters2001, “Renegade”, in The Blueprint, performed by Jay-Z ft. Eminem
7. (archaic, humorous) A rapier or similar weapon.
   • This attitude, and the sight of the blade which glistened by moonlight in his face, checked in some sort, the ardour of his assailant, who desired he would lay aside his toaster, and take a bout with him at equal arms.1751, [Tobias] Smollett, chapter 27, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume I, London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC
8. (derogatory, informal) Any of several small, box-like automobiles exemplified by the Scion xB and Honda Element.
9. (derogatory, informal) An electronic organ, especially a crude one that uses analog technology.
10. (humorous) A low-end or outdated personal computer.
    • For most older computers (pre-486 and even some 486s), it's simply easier to throw them away and start over (and cheaper, too). I know; this probably goes against the grain; after all, you hung onto that old toaster for three years, and now it makes a darn good doorstop.2000, Jennifer Fulton, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Alpha Books, →ISBN, page 15
    • On the technical side, we had only the old “toaster” Macintosh computers as our environment (only black and white and 512 by 480 screen resolution) and a variety of IBM PCs or equivalents.2005, Clark N. Quinn, Engaging Learning: Designing e-Learning Simulation Games, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 65
11. (derogatory, humorous) A robot.
    • "[…] The way this crazy would has been acting lately, I wouldn[']t be surprised to see us all wiped out by next year. Damned toasters." "Now there you go again, trying to blame everything on your conspiracy theories. Especially these 'toasters.' How long before you get it through your head that...1998 May 25, JHooksX, “[FANFIC] Human”, in alt.toys.transformers (Usenet), archived from the original on 07 Aug 2026
    • You've got an arena *full* of Jedi, and you *know* that most of them are going to die, so you're expecting this to be one hell of a show. And what happens? They trip, they tumble, they slip, they fall.. led by the uninspiring Mace Windu, they all proceed to get mowed-down by an army of toasters....2002 June 13, James Boyden, “[movie review] SW II: Attack of the Clones”, in aus.culture.gothic (Usenet), archived from the original on 07 Aug 2026
12. (endearing, slang) A protogen.