burst: Meaning and Definition of

burst

Pronunciation: (bûrst), [key]
— v., n. burst burst•ed, burst•ing,
—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.
  1. to cause to break or break open suddenly and violently: He burst the balloon.
  2. to cause or suffer the rupture of: to burst a blood vessel.
  3. to separate (the parts of a multipart stationery form consisting of interleaved paper and carbon paper).
  4. to be filled to or beyond normal capacity: This room will be bursting at the seams when all the guests arrive.
—n.
  1. an act or instance of bursting.
  2. a sudden, intense display, as of activity, energy, or effort: The car passed us with a burst of speed.
  3. a sudden expression or manifestation, as of emotion: a burst of affection.
  4. a sudden and violent issuing forth: a burst of steam from the pipe.
  5. an air burst.
    1. the explosion of a projectile, esp. in a specified place:an air burst.
    2. 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.
  6. the result of bursting; breach; gap: a burst in the dike.
  7. a sudden appearance or opening to view.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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