Main Entry:

²bust

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

bust·ed also bust; bust·ing

Etymology:

alteration of burst

Date:

1806

transitive verb1 a: to break or smash especially with force ; also : to make inoperative <busted my watch> b: to bring an end to : break up <helped bust trusts — Newsweek> —often used with up<better not try to bust up his happy marriage — Forbes> c: to ruin financially d: exhaust, wear out —used in phrases like bust one's butt to describe making a strenuous effort e: to give a hard time to —often used in phrases like bust one's chops2: tame <bronco busting>3: demote4slang a: arrest <busted for carrying guns — Saul Gottlieb> b: raid <busted the apartment>5: hit, slugintransitive verb1: to go broke2 a: burst <laughing fit to bust> b: break down3 a: to lose at cards by exceeding a limit (as the count of 21 in blackjack) b: to fail to complete a straight or flush in poker