Toast

a slice of bread parched or slightly scorched before the open fire. The digestive juices attack the toast even more readily than stale bread. For this reason, it is a favorite diet for invalids, or when a hearty meal is not desired. It was the custom in the sixteenth century to place a piece of toast in the bottom of the wine glass. In this way the term passed to a drink taken at table in recognition of an honored guest or the reigning belle of the season. By another transition, the term is applied to a sentiment to which an after-dinner speaker is called to respond. See Bread; Food