Toasted means heated until brown and crispy, usually by direct heat or hot air. When you make toast for breakfast, the bread starts soft and pale, then the toaster's heat transforms it into something golden, crunchy, and delicious. The Maillard reaction (a chemical process that happens when food gets hot) creates that distinctive toasted flavor and smell that makes your mouth water.

You can toast more than just bread. Marshmallows get toasted over campfires until their outsides turn golden brown. Chefs toast nuts in a pan to bring out their oils and make them taste richer. Bakers toast coconut flakes until they're fragrant and crispy. Even spices get toasted to release their full flavor before being ground up.

The word also describes a warm, comfortable feeling, like being nice and toasted by a fireplace on a cold day. When you come inside after playing in the snow and warm up with hot chocolate, you might feel wonderfully toasted.

At celebrations, people make toasts by raising their glasses and saying something nice about someone being honored. This tradition got its name centuries ago when people actually put spiced toast in their drinks to improve the flavor, though we don't do that anymore.