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milque·toast

(mĭlktōst′)

One who has a meek, timid, unassertive nature.

[After Caspar Milquetoast, a meek comic-strip character created by Harold Tucker Webster (1885-1952) and named in reference to MILK TOAST.]

milquetoast′y adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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