burst

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To come open or fly apart suddenly or violently, especially from internal pressure.
2. v. To explode.
3. v. To be or seem to be full to the point of breaking open: The sacks were bursting with grain.
4. v. To emerge, come forth, or arrive suddenly: burst out of the door.
5. v. To come apart or seem to come apart because of overwhelming emotion: thought his heart would burst with happiness.
6. v. To give sudden utterance or expression: burst out laughing; burst into tears.
7. v. To cause to burst: burst the balloon. See Synonyms at break.
8. v. To exert strong pressure in order to force (something) open.
9. v. To separate (a continuous form or printout) into individual sheets.
10. n. A sudden outbreak or outburst; an explosion.
11. n. The result of bursting, especially the explosion of a projectile or bomb on impact or in the air.
12. n. The number of bullets fired from an automatic weapon by one pull of the trigger.
13. n. A volley of bullets fired from an automatic weapon: The machine gunner fired a quick burst.
14. n. An abrupt, intense increase; a rush: a burst of speed; fitful bursts of wind.
15. n. A period of intense activity: "I write in very short bursts—10 or 15 minutes” ( Zoe Heller).

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To fly or break open as an effect of internal forces and with sudden violence; suffer a violent disruption; explode.
2. Hence—2. Figuratively, to break or give way from violent pain or emotion: as, my head will burst; her heart burst with grief.
3. To come or go suddenly; rush: as, the enemy in an instant burst upon us.
4. To rend by force or violence (that which confines or retains); open suddenly and violently; cause to explode: as, to burst one's bonds; to burst a cannon.
5. To break, in general.
6. Synonyms (intransitive verb and t.) To split, separate, rend, tear.
7. n. A sudden disruption; a violent rending.
8. n. A sudden explosion or shooting forth; a rush; an out-burst: as, a burst of applause; a burst of passion; “burst of thunder,”
9. n. A rupture; a hernia.
10. n. 4. A smart race; a spurt.
11. n. A sudden opening to sight or view.
12. n. A spree.
13. In pin-pool billiards, to go beyond a score of 31; in ball-pool, to smash at the pyramid.

Wiktionary

1. n. An instance of, or the act of bursting.
2. v. intransitive To break from internal pressure.
3. v. transitive To cause to break from internal pressure.
4. v. transitive To separate formfeed at perforation lines
5. v. intransitive To enter or exit hurriedly and unexpectedly..

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To fly apart or in pieces; of break open; to yield to force or pressure, especially to a sudden and violent exertion of force, or to pressure from within; to explode.
2. v. To exert force or pressure by which something is made suddenly to give way; to break through obstacles or limitations; hence, to appear suddenly and unexpectedly or unaccountably, or to depart in such manner; -- usually with some qualifying adverb or preposition, as forth, out, away, into, upon, through, etc.
3. v. To break or rend by violence, as by an overcharge or by strain or pressure, esp. from within; to force open suddenly.
4. v. obsolete To break.
5. v. To produce as an effect of bursting.
6. n. A sudden breaking forth; a violent rending; an explosion.
7. n. Any brief, violent exertion or effort; a spurt.
8. n. rare A sudden opening, as of landscape; a stretch; an expanse.
9. n. A rupture or hernia; a breach.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. be in a state of movement or action
2. v. burst outward, usually with noise
3. v. force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up
4. n. the act of exploding or bursting
5. v. come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
6. v. emerge suddenly
7. v. cause to burst
8. v. break open or apart suddenly and forcefully
9. n. a sudden flurry of activity (often for no obvious reason)
10. v. move suddenly, energetically, or violently
11. n. a sudden intense happening
12. n. rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms