Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “airburst” come from?

airburst (English) comes from English burst, from Middle English bresten, from Old English berstan, from Proto-Germanic *brestan, from Proto-Germanic brestaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰres‑ — to burst; break; crack; crackle.

airburst (English): The explosion of a bomb or similar weapon in the...

Definitions

  1. The explosion of a bomb or similar weapon in the...

Ancestry of “airburst”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishburstTo break from internal pressure; To cause to...
2Middle Englishbresten—
3Old Englishberstanto break, shatter, burst
4Proto-Germanic*brestan—
5Proto-Germanicbrestanąto burst, break, sunder, split, crack
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰres‑to burst; break; crack; crackle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰres‑ →