To burst is to break open suddenly from pressure inside, like a balloon popping or a pipe splitting. As a noun, it can mean a short, intense effort or a sudden increase in activity.
From Old English “berstan,” meaning “to break, shatter, or burst,” from a Germanic root about violent breaking. The strong past tense “burst” kept its older, irregular pattern.
Bursting happens when inside pressure beats outside resistance—a tiny physics drama. The same word covers a bursting dam and a “burst of laughter,” because both are about stored-up energy suddenly escaping.
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