BURST

I. verb (~; also ~ed; ~ing) Etymology: Middle English bersten, from Old English berstan; akin to Old High German brestan to ~ Date: before 12th century intransitive verb to break open, apart, or into pieces usually from impact or from pressure from within, 2. to give way from an excess of emotion , to give vent suddenly to a repressed emotion , 3. to emerge or spring suddenly , launch , plunge , to be filled to the breaking point , transitive verb to cause to ~ , 2. to force open (as a door or a way) by strong or vigorous action, to flood over , to produce by or as if by ~ing, II. noun Date: 1610 1. a sudden outbreak, explosion , eruption , a sudden intense effort , the duration of fire in one engagement of the mechanism of an automatic firearm, an act of ~ing, a result of ~ing