toaster

plural toasters

1. An electrical device for toasting food, typically sliced bread.

   1 more example

   “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, smart mattress covers, smart coffee makers, smart doorbells, and even, yes, smart toasters.

   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. archaicA 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, page 9, column 2

4. One who toasts (cooks lightly by browning).
5. One who toasts (engages in salute while drinking alcohol).
6. USslangA firearm, especially a pistol.

   The renegade, you been afraid I penetrate pop culture / Bring 'em a lot closer to the block where they pop toasters

   2001, “Renegade”, in The Blueprint, performed by Jay-Z ft. Eminem

7. archaichumorousA 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. derogatoryinformalautomotiveAny of several small, box-like automobiles exemplified by the Scion xB and Honda Element.
9. derogatoryinformalentertainmentAn electronic organ, especially a crude one that uses analog technology.
10. humorouscomputingA low-end or outdated personal computer.

    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

    1 more example

    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

11. derogatoryhumorousA robot.

    I give Sherry's BD setup a 10! :) -- "Time to junk some toasters."

    2005 September 17, Skinky, “2nd Season Battlestar Galactica - Flight of the Phoenix - 5 star poll - SPOILERS AHOY !”, in alt.battlestar-galactica (Usenet), archived from the original on 07 Aug 2026

    5 more examples

    "[…] 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 these 'toasters' aren[']t the cause for the world's problems?" "The day you realize the toasters aren[']t right, man.[…]" […] "Excuse me for prying," says the man who has been staring at his coffee, "but what are these toasters you speak of?" "Oh, Johnson is just talking about those robots who come to town every so often and have public relations meetings..."

    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. These toasters are so lame that even George Lucas himself realised that they were lame, and inserted C3PO as attempted comic relief. […] So we have half-an-hour of incompetent Jedi getting killed by lame CG toasters.. talk about depressing.

    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

    The only fun in the whole game was if there was a nuclear meltdown and robots took over. It is harder to kill them than it is to elect a Democrat President - nothing kills those little Terminator muthatruckers. Volcanoes are about your only bet - still, you spew half the magma core, and if you leave even 1 of those toasters alive, they just go about their happy way, building new ones, killing every other form of life on your planet.

    2003 September 23, Roy. Just Roy., “behind the times: just bought the^([sic]) Sims”, in alt.tasteless (Usenet), archived from the original on 07 Aug 2026

    Right and those toasters have just wiped out their entire civilization along with most (if not all) of their loved ones and the vast majority of the toasters (humanoid or not) are still trying to hunt the humans to extinction. For the fleet to suddenly get all touchy-feely and start worrying about hurting the Cylons' feelings by calling them toasters at this point would be ridiculous. Which is more un-PC-- calling someone a toaster or genocide?

    2005 September 18, BTR1701, “2nd Season Battlestar Galactica - Flight of the Phoenix - 5 star poll - SPOILERS AHOY !”, in alt.battlestar-galactica (Usenet), archived from the original on 07 Aug 2026

    Adama was able to get Boomer's^([sic]) to cooperate without torturing her in part because she was thinking about her half-human half-toaster baby. So perhaps the lesson is that pregnancy = torture?

    2006 January 8, Zombie Elvis, “BSG: Torture ... worked? ("Ressurection Ship" spoilers)”, in alt.battlestar-galactica (Usenet), archived from the original on 07 Aug 2026

12. endearingslanglifestyleA protogen.
13. slanguncommoncomputingA self-contained software package distributable over the Internet or by burning onto CDs.

    The Freedom Toaster was developed with backing from Mark Shuttleworth as a vending-machine-style dispenser of free digital products, including Ubuntu Linux.

    2008, Michael Jang, Ubuntu Certified Professional Study Guide, McGraw Hill Professional, →ISBN, page 9

14. entertainmentA disc jockey who accompanies reggae music with improvised rhythmic speech.
15. USderogatoryinformalrail transportDiesel locomotives built by GE Transportation known for a propensity to catch fire, especially those showing previous fire damage.

    IIRC, it's usually a toaster (GE).

    2007 October 1, tree68, “Fire out the stack”, in Trains Forums, archived from the original on 22 May 2024

    2 more examples

    No. 4020 shows off the aftereffects of the GE “toaster” phenomenon as it runs on the Joint Line north of the Air Force Academy (7/02/2023).

    2023 July 2, Jim Griffin, “BNSF GE Power”, in ActionRoad.net

    Railfans often call GE Dash-9s as "toasters" which certainly applies to this locomotive.

    2020 December 13, containerman2, “A GE "Toaster" Leads CN Train 406 West at Boundary Creek, NB on a Nice Sunny Afternoon”, in YouTube

16. USinformalrail transportAn EMD AEM-7 electric locomotive

    The origin of the design led railroaders to dub the units “meatballs,” and its boxy appearance inspired railfans to call them “toasters.”

    2018 March 29, Eric Berger, “Amtrak AEM-7 Preserved at Illinois Railway Museum”, in Railfan & Railroad

    1 more example

    Sometimes affectionately referred to as “toasters” and “Swedish meatballs” due to their compact, boxy design and Swedish origins, the AEM-7s first entered service in May 1980 and since then have traveled more than 220 million miles.

    2016 June 20, “A Fond Farewell to the AEM-7”, in Amtrak: History of America's Railroad, archived from the original on 03 Dec 2022