Third person singular present of burst, meaning to break open or apart suddenly, or to emerge forcefully. Can describe physical rupturing or sudden emotional expressions.
From Old English berstan, related to German bersten, from Proto-Germanic *brestaną meaning 'to burst or crack.' The word has maintained its core meaning of sudden breaking or opening for over a thousand years.
The word 'burst' is onomatopoetic perfection - the sharp 'b' followed by the 'rst' cluster mimics the sudden, sharp sound of something rupturing, making it one of those rare words that sounds like what it describes.
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