/berrst/ , v. , burst or, often, bursted, bursting , n.
v.i.
1. to break, break open, or fly apart with sudden violence: The bitter cold caused the pipes to burst.
2. to issue forth suddenly and forcibly, as from confinement or through an obstacle: Oil burst to the surface. He burst through the doorway.
3. to give sudden expression to or as if to emotion: to burst into applause; to burst into tears.
4. to be extremely full, as if ready to break open: The house was bursting with people.
5. to appear suddenly; become visible, audible, evident, etc., all at once: The sun burst through the clouds.
v.t.
6. to cause to break or break open suddenly and violently: He burst the balloon.
7. to cause or suffer the rupture of: to burst a blood vessel.
8. to separate (the parts of a multipart stationery form consisting of interleaved paper and carbon paper).
9. burst at the seams , to be filled to or beyond normal capacity: This room will be bursting at the seams when all the guests arrive.
n.
10. an act or instance of bursting.
11. a sudden, intense display, as of activity, energy, or effort: The car passed us with a burst of speed.
12. a sudden expression or manifestation, as of emotion: a burst of affection.
13. a sudden and violent issuing forth: a burst of steam from the pipe.
14. Mil.
a. the explosion of a projectile, esp. in a specified place: an air burst.
b. a rapid sequence of shots fired by one pull on the trigger of an automatic weapon: A burst from the machine gun shattered all the windows.
15. the result of bursting; breach; gap: a burst in the dike.
16. a sudden appearance or opening to view.
[ bef. 1000; ME bersten, bursten, OE berstan (past. pl. burston ), c. OHG brestan (G bersten ), ON bresta; akin to BREAK ]
Syn. 1. crack, explode. 6. rend, tear. 11. spurt. 12, 13 . outbreak.
Usage . See bust 2 .