warm (redirected from warm as toast)

warm the cockles of your heart (old-fashioned)

if something you see or hear warms the cockles of your heart, it makes you feel happy because it shows that people can be good and kind. It's an old-fashioned romance that will warm the cockles of your heart.

See also: heart

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warm someone up

to cause someone to become more relaxed and friendly. It is a good idea to warm up an audience with a few amusing stories before talking about serious things. Do you think meditation might help warm him up before he gets out there to speak?

warm up (something)

to briefly exercise as preparation for something. She warms her voice up before a concert by singing scales and making funny noises. He always warmed up for about 15 minutes before his morning run.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of warm something up (= to cause the temperature of something to increase)

warm up to (someone/something)

to begin to like or enjoy someone or something. It took a couple of days for us to warm up to each other, but now we're very good friends. Some people have warmed up to the idea of extending the school year, but many still oppose it.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form warm someone up to something to prepare someone so they will like something: I think you should warm them up to the idea, and not just surprise your parents when they get here.