[burst] 
verb, burst or, often, burst⋅ed, burst⋅ing, noun | 1. | to break, break open, or fly apart with sudden violence: The bitter cold caused the pipes to burst. |
| 2. | to issue forth suddenly and forcibly, as from confinement or through an obstacle: Oil burst to the surface. He burst through the doorway. |
| 3. | to give sudden expression to or as if to emotion: to burst into applause; to burst into tears. |
| 4. | to be extremely full, as if ready to break open: The house was bursting with people. |
| 5. | to appear suddenly; become visible, audible, evident, etc., all at once: The sun burst through the clouds. |
| 6. | to cause to break or break open suddenly and violently: He burst the balloon. |
| 7. | to cause or suffer the rupture of: to burst a blood vessel. |
| 8. | to separate (the parts of a multipart stationery form consisting of interleaved paper and carbon paper). |
| 9. | an act or instance of bursting. |
| 10. | a sudden, intense display, as of activity, energy, or effort: The car passed us with a burst of speed. |
| 11. | a sudden expression or manifestation, as of emotion: a burst of affection. |
| 12. | a sudden and violent issuing forth: a burst of steam from the pipe. |
| 13. | Military.
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| 14. | the result of bursting; breach; gap: a burst in the dike. |
| 15. | a sudden appearance or opening to view. |
| 16. | burst at the seams, to be filled to or beyond normal capacity: This room will be bursting at the seams when all the guests arrive. |
burst at the seams
Be filled to or beyond normal capacity. For example, On her wedding day the church was bursting at the seams, or That was a wonderful meal, but I'm bursting at the seams. This expression alludes to rupturing the seams of a garment too tight for the wearer and is generally used hyperbolically. Also see come apart at the seams.
