bust
UK[bʌst]US[bʌst]
n
a sculpture of a person's head, shoulders, and chest
n
a woman's breasts, or the measurement around a woman's breasts and back
v
to break something
v
(of the police) to enter a place suddenly in order to arrest people or search for something illegal
adj
(informal) broken
Etymology
the word 'bust' entered english in the 17th century as a borrowing from french 'buste', which itself came from italian 'busto'. the italian term likely has its origins in latin 'bustum', meaning a funeral monument or tomb, a meaning derived from the practice of cremation. this etymological path reflects a shift from a term associated with death and memorials to one specifically denoting a sculpted representation of the upper human body. the development of its informal verb and adjective meanings, such as "to break" or "broken," represents a separate, 19th-century american english slang evolution, likely influenced by the burst of something, creating a homograph with a distinct semantic lineage.
Analysis
this word is a simplex form. its spelling and meaning have been shaped by borrowing and semantic shift, making a meaningful segmentation into modern English morphemes impractical.
Examples
a marble bust of the philosopher sits in the library.
the police busted the illegal gambling operation last night.
my phone is completely bust after i dropped it in the sink.