burst
n. countablen. a sudden, short period of intense activity or energy. You use this when something starts very quickly and with a lot of force.
n. a sudden, intense outbreak or period of activity, energy, or emotion. Often used to describe brief increases in speed or sound.
She finished the race with a final burst of speed.
The quiet afternoon was interrupted by a sudden burst of laughter from the kitchen.
The athlete relied on a short burst of explosive power to clear the hurdle, demonstrating the physiological difference between endurance and immediate force.
From Middle English bresten, bersten, from Old English berstan, from Proto-West Germanic brestan, from Proto-Germanic brestaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰres- (“to burst, break, crack, split, separate”), enlargement of bʰreHi- (“to snip, split”). See also West Frisian boarste, Dutch barsten, Danish briste, Swedish brista; also Irish bris (“to break”)). More at brine. Also cognate to debris.
Frequently used in the construction 'a burst of' followed by an abstract noun like energy, speed, or laughter.