4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Toaster  \Toast"er\,  n. 
  1.  One  who  toasts. 
 
  2.  A  kitchen  utensil  for  toasting  bread,  cheese,  etc 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  toaster 
  n  :  an  appliance  (usually  electric)  for  toasting  bread 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  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  (http://www.phys.uu.nl/~beljaars/reddwarf/script/4/4.whi)!" 
  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.  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."  5.  A  specialized  computer  used  as  an  appliance. 
  See  {web  toaster},  {video  toaster}. 
 
 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  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) 
 
 

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