1.
[syn: toaster, wassailer]
2. a kitchen appliance (usually electric) for toasting bread;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Toaster \Toast"er\, n.
1. One who toasts.
[1913 Webster]
2. A kitchen utensil for toasting bread, cheese, etc.
[1913 Webster]
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Appliance \Ap*pli"ance\, n.
1. The act of applying; application.
[1913 Webster]
2. subservience; compliance. [Obs.] --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
3. A thing applied or used as a means to an end; an apparatus
or device; as, to use various appliances; a mechanical
appliance; a machine with its appliances.
[1913 Webster]
4. Specifically: An apparatus or device, usually powered
electrically, used in homes to perform domestic functions.
An appliance is often categorized as a major appliance or
a minor appliance by its cost. Common major appliances are
the refrigerator, washing machine, clothes drier,
oven, and dishwasher. Some minor appliances are a
toaster, vacuum cleaner or microwave oven.
[PJC]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
toaster
n 1: someone who proposes a toast; someone who drinks to the
health of success of someone or some venture [syn:
toaster, wassailer]
2: a kitchen appliance (usually electric) for toasting bread
The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):
toaster
n.
1. The archetypal really stupid application for an embedded microprocessor
controller; often used in comments that imply that a scheme is
inappropriate technology (but see elevator controller). ?DWIM for an
assembler? That'd be as silly as running Unix on your toaster!?
2. A very, very dumb computer. ?You could run this program on any dumb
toaster.? See bitty box, Get a real computer!, toy, beige toaster.
3. A Macintosh, esp. a Mac in the original unitary case. Some hold that
this is implied by sense 2.
4. A peripheral device. ?I bought my box without toasters, but since then
I've added two boards and a second disk drive.?
5. A specialized computer used as an appliance. See web toaster, video
toaster.
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):
toaster
1. The archetypal really stupid application for an
embedded microprocessor controller; often used in comments
that imply that a scheme is inappropriate technology (but see
elevator controller). "DWIM for an assembler? That'd be
as silly as running Unix on your toaster!"
2. A very, very dumb computer. "You could run this program on
any dumb toaster."
See bitty box, Get a real computer!, toy, beige
toaster.
3. A Macintosh, especially the Classic Mac. Some hold
that this is implied by sense 2.
4. A peripheral device. "I bought my box without toasters,
but since then I've added two boards and a second disk drive".
This is not usually to be taken literally but, to show off the
expansion capabilities of the Risc PC, Acorn Computers
Ltd. built a seven-slice machine (which they called "the
rocket-ship") and installed every imaginable peripheral. In a
spare drive bay of the top slice they installed a toaster.
This machine was exhibited at various shows where it attracted
attention by occasionally ejecting a pizza.
[Jargon File]
(1997-07-18)