bursten

B3U1R1S1T1E1N1

adjective

Burst; broken; ruptured.

OriginMiddle English bursten ← Old English borsten ← Proto-Germanic *brustanaz →
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Meanings

verb
  1. archaicparticiplepastpast participle of burst.
adjectivebursten (comparative more bursten, superlative most bursten)

comparative more bursten · superlative most bursten

  1. Burst; broken; ruptured.
  2. Affected with a rupture or hernia.

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*brestaną“to burst”
  2. Proto-Germanic*brustanaz
  3. Old Englishborsten
  4. Middle Englishbursten
  5. Englishbursten

From Middle English bursten, borsten, from Old English borsten, ġeborsten, from Proto-Germanic *brustanaz, past participle of Proto-Germanic *brestaną (“to burst”). More at burst.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic

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Rhymes & wordplay

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Cite this entry
APA

bursten. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bursten

MLA

“bursten.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bursten. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bursten,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bursten.

Source: bursten on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.