Burst
/bɜːrst/noun
To break open or apart suddenly and violently.
Did you know?Burst is an old Germanic word tied to the idea of breaking or splitting open, and English kept the explosive sense while many related forms vanished or shifted over time.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bherǵ-
“to break, burst, or split”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*burstaną
“to burst, break, split”
Old English
OE
berstan
“to break, burst, or shatter suddenly”
Middle English
ME
bursten
“to burst, crack open, or break apart”
Modern English
English
burst
“to break open or apart suddenly and violently”