Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Burst \Burst\, n.
   1. A sudden breaking forth; a violent rending; an explosion;
      as, a burst of thunder; a burst of applause; a burst of
      passion; a burst of inspiration.

            Bursts of fox-hunting melody.         --W. Irving.

   2. Any brief, violent exertion or effort; a spurt; as, a
      burst of speed.

   3. A sudden opening, as of landscape; a stretch; an expanse.
      [R.] ``A fine burst of country.'' --Jane Austen.

   4. A rupture or hernia; a breach.

Burst \Burst\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Burst}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Bursting}. The past participle bursten is obsolete.] [OE.
   bersten, bresten, AS. berstan (pers. sing. berste, imp. sing.
   b[ae]rst, imp. pl. burston, p. p. borsten); akin to D.
   bersten, G. bersten, OHG. brestan, OS. brestan, Icel. bresta,
   Sw. brista, Dan. briste. Cf. {Brast}, {Break}.]
   1. 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;
      as, the boiler had burst; the buds will burst in spring.

            From the egg that soon Bursting with kindly rupture,
            forth disclosed Their callow young.   --Milton.

   Note: Often used figuratively, as of the heart, in reference
         to a surcharge of passion, grief, desire, etc.

               No, no, my heart will burst, an if I speak: And I
               will speak, that so my heart may burst. --Shak.

   2. 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.

            Tears, such as angels weep, burst forth. --Milton.

            And now you burst (ah cruel!) from my arms. --Pope.

            A resolved villain Whose bowels suddenly burst out.
                                                  --Shak.

            We were the first that ever burst Into that silent
            sea.                                  --Coleridge.

            To burst upon him like an earthquake. --Goldsmith.

Burst \Burst\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Burst}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Bursting}. The past participle bursten is obsolete.] [OE.
   bersten, bresten, AS. berstan (pers. sing. berste, imp. sing.
   b[ae]rst, imp. pl. burston, p. p. borsten); akin to D.
   bersten, G. bersten, OHG. brestan, OS. brestan, Icel. bresta,
   Sw. brista, Dan. briste. Cf. {Brast}, {Break}.]
   1. 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;
      as, the boiler had burst; the buds will burst in spring.

            From the egg that soon Bursting with kindly rupture,
            forth disclosed Their callow young.   --Milton.

   Note: Often used figuratively, as of the heart, in reference
         to a surcharge of passion, grief, desire, etc.

               No, no, my heart will burst, an if I speak: And I
               will speak, that so my heart may burst. --Shak.

   2. 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.

            Tears, such as angels weep, burst forth. --Milton.

            And now you burst (ah cruel!) from my arms. --Pope.

            A resolved villain Whose bowels suddenly burst out.
                                                  --Shak.

            We were the first that ever burst Into that silent
            sea.                                  --Coleridge.

            To burst upon him like an earthquake. --Goldsmith.

Burst \Burst\ (b[^u]rst), v. t.
   1. To break or rend by violence, as by an overcharge or by
      strain or pressure, esp. from within; to force open
      suddenly; as, to burst a cannon; to burst a blood vessel;
      to burst open the doors.

            My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage.
                                                  --Shak.

   2. To break. [Obs.]

            You will not pay for the glasses you have burst?
                                                  --Shak.

            He burst his lance against the sand below. --Fairfax
                                                  (Tasso).

   3. To produce as an effect of bursting; as, to burst a hole
      through the wall.

   {Bursting charge}. See under {Charge}.

Source : WordNet®

burst
     adj : suddenly and violently broken open especially from internal
           pressure (`busted' is an informal term for `burst'); "a
           burst balloon"; "burst pipes"; "burst seams"; "a
           ruptured appendix"; "a busted balloon" [syn: {ruptured},
            {busted}]

burst
     n 1: the act of exploding or bursting something; "the explosion
          of the firecrackers awoke the children"; "the burst of
          an atom bomb creates enormous radiation aloft" [syn: {explosion}]
     2: rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms; "our fusillade
        from the left flank caught them by surprise" [syn: {fusillade},
         {salvo}, {volley}]
     3: a sudden flurry of activity (often for no obvious reason);
        "a burst of applause"; "a fit of housecleaning" [syn: {fit}]
     4: a sudden violent happening; "an outburst of heavy rain"; "a
        burst of lightning" [syn: {outburst}, {flare-up}]

burst
     v 1: break open or apart suddenly; "The bubble burst" [syn: {split},
           {break open}]
     2: force out or release suddenly and often violently something
        pent up; "break into tears"; "erupt in anger" [syn: {break},
         {erupt}]
     3: burst outward, usually with noise; "The champagne bottle
        exploded" [syn: {explode}] [ant: {implode}]
     4: move suddenly, energetically, or violently; "He burst out of
        the house into the cool night"
     5: be in a state of movement or action; "The room abounded with
        screaming children"; "The garden bristled with toddlers"
        [syn: {abound}, {bristle}]
     6: emerge suddenly; "The sun burst into view"
     7: cause to burst; "The ice broke the pipe" [syn: {collapse}]
     8: break open or apart suddenly and forcefully; "The dam burst"
        [syn: {bust}]