Burstin

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Filled to the point of nearly overflowing, or so full of an emotion that it seems ready to come out
2. Brimming with something to the extent that it is almost ready to spill over or be expressed
3. Packed full of a feeling or quality, as in being eager to share it or show it openly

Etymology: "Burstin" is the informal spelling of "bursting," the present participle of "burst." The verb goes back to Old English "berstan," meaning to break open or fly apart suddenly, and it has cognates in Dutch "barsten" and German "bersten." The colloquial sense, as in being "burstin" for the loo, is a figurative extension. A container stretched so full it is about to split becomes a person so full of need or eagerness that they feel close to bursting. The dropped final g reflects casual speech rather than a separate word, so its history is that of the verb itself.