a sculptured, painted, drawn, or engraved representation of the upper part of the human figure, especially a portrait sculpture showing only the head and shoulders of the subject.
the chest or breast, especially a woman's bosom.
Origin of bust
1
1685–95; <French buste<Italian busto, probably <Latin būstum grave mound, tomb, literally, funeral pyre, ashes; presumably by association with the busts erected over graves
Words nearby bust
buss, Busse-Buschke disease, Bussell, bus shelter, bus stop, bust, bust a gut, Bustamante, bustard, busted, bustee
Definition for bust (2 of 2)
bust2
[ buhst ]
/ bʌst /
verb (used without object)
Informal.
to burst.
to go bankrupt.
to collapse from the strain of making a supreme effort: She was determined to make straight A's or bust.
Cards.
Draw Poker.to fail to make a flush or straight by one card.
Blackjack.to draw cards exceeding the count of 21.
verb (used with object)
Informal.
to burst.
to bankrupt; ruin financially.
to demote, especially in military rank or grade: He was busted from sergeant to private three times.
to tame; break: to bust a bronco.
Slang.
to place under arrest: The gang was busted and put away on narcotics charges.
to subject to a police raid: The bar has been busted three times for selling drinks to minors.
Informal.
to hit.
to break; fracture: She fell and busted her arm.
noun
a failure.
Informal. a hit; sock; punch: He got a bust in the nose before he could put up his hands.
a sudden decline in the economic conditions of a country, marked by an extreme drop in stock-market prices, business activity, and employment; depression.
Slang.
an arrest.
a police raid.
Informal. a drinking spree; binge.
Cards.
a very weak hand.
Bridge.a hand lacking the potential to take a single trick.
adjective
Informal. bankrupt; broke.
Verb Phrases
bust up,Informal.
to break up; separate: Sam and his wife busted up a year ago.
to damage or destroy: Soldiers got in a fight and busted up the bar.
Origin of bust
2
First recorded in 1755–65; variant of burst, by loss of r before s, as in ass2, bass2, passel, etc.
historical usage of bust
Historically bust is derived from a dialect pronunciation of burst and is related to it much as cuss is related to curse.Bust is both a noun and a verb and has a wide range of meanings for both uses. Many are slang or informal. A few, as “a decline in economic conditions, depression,” are standard.
The dotcom bust, which followed Apple’s second-ever stock split in June 2000, wrecked investors’ returns.
Investors riding high on Apple and Tesla stock splits could get clipped, data shows|rhhackettfortune|August 31, 2020|Fortune
Hormones could very well be making booms and busts worse than they need be.
This is your brain on Robinhood|John Detrixhe|August 30, 2020|Quartz
I don’t want to be doomsday, but it is bleak right now, so we have to think about outdoor recreation as another economic specialization that’s vulnerable to boom-and-bust and think about long-term diversification.
The Recreation Economy Isn't As Resilient As We Thought|Heather Hansman|August 29, 2020|Outside Online
In the past, a bust brought calls for economic diversification.
The oil sands triggered a heated global debate on our energy needs. Now, they could be a sign of what’s to come|kdunn6|August 20, 2020|Fortune
Although the 30-minute-rule to getting engagement has been busted, it definitely helps to know your best posting time and post consistently.
How to optimize for the Instagram algorithm in 2020|Julia Miashkova|August 19, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Nobody ever says they want to become a cop so they can bust people for urinating in public or drinking alcohol on their stoop.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And every day, we bust our asses to continue “making it,” but we most certainly have not “made it.”
How Much Money Does a Band Really Make on Tour?|Jack Conte|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In writing my debut novel, The Home Place, I had to bust some Western mythology to tell the truth.
Book Bag: Gritty Stories From the Real Montana|Carrie La Seur|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Think of it as the Jersey Shore exception, where you can act like a brutish goon and the first bust is essentially a do-over.
Ray Rice Should Have Remembered His 'Kindness' Anti-Bullying Wristband|Michael Daly|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, Beck returned home and made a life-changing decision to bust out of the closet.
The Woman Stuck in a Navy SEAL's Body|Nina Strochlic|September 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Variety 8:—Similar to the last, but back of bust is some distance from inner oval line.
The Die Varieties of the Nesbitt Series of United States Envelopes|Victor M. Berthold
With that John begun to stare, and at last he bust out a larfin again.
Highlife in New York: a series of letters to Mr. Zephariah Slick,|Ann S. Stephens
Then I undertook the bust of my young sister Rgina, who had, alas!
My Double Life|Sarah Bernhardt
Moreover, if he's so ugly as all that, you won't be so unhappy as you were last year when I was doing Mora's bust.
The Nabob, Volume 1 (of 2)|Alphonse Daudet
But they say he was a bust anyway—just a morning-glory—and didn't know his luck.
Winner Take All|Larry Evans
British Dictionary definitions for bust (1 of 2)
bust1
/ (bʌst) /
noun
the chest of a human being, esp a woman's bosom
a sculpture of the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a person
Word Origin for bust
C17: from French buste, from Italian busto a sculpture, of unknown origin
British Dictionary definitions for bust (2 of 2)
bust2
/ (bʌst) informal /
verbbusts, busting, bustedorbust
to burst or break
to make or become bankrupt
(tr)(of the police) to raid, search, or arrestthe girl was busted for drugs
(tr)US and Canadianto demote, esp in military rank
(tr)US and Canadianto break or tame (a horse, etc)
(tr)mainlyUSto punch; hit
bust a gut See gut (def. 9)
noun
a raid, search, or arrest by the police
mainlyUSa punch; hit
US and Canadiana failure, esp a financial one; bankruptcy