Busts

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /bʌsts/

Definitions

1. Shatters or breaks something physically ; detains or takes someone into custody by authority ; creates a sculpture showing a person's head and shoulders
2. Causes damage or failure by force or impact ; officially apprehends a person suspected of wrongdoing ; carves or models a representation of someone's upper body
3. Fractures or ruins an object or structure ; seizes a suspect through law enforcement action ; fashions a three-dimensional likeness focused on the head and upper torso

Etymology: "Busts" is the third-person singular present form of the verb "bust," so its origin lies in the verb. That verb comes from Middle English "busten," a variant of "bursten" or "bresten," meaning "to burst." Its closest relatives are the Low German "basten," a variant of "barsten" (also "to burst"), and the English words "burst" and "bost." The sense of breaking open or being caught (as in a police raid or arrest) developed from that basic idea of something breaking apart.

Synonyms: sculptures, statues, figurines, models