Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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BRUST, v.¹ To burst. Pa.p. brusten, bruss'n. Known to Abd.²², Fif.¹⁰, Arg.¹ 1936. [brʌst, brʌs(t)n]Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 146:
"He that eats while [till] he brusts, will be the worse while he lives," a jocose Return to them that urge us to eat.Ags. 1818 J. Thomson Poems 35:
The young lad heard her, and his heart Wi' grief was like to brust.Ags. 1987 Raymond Vettese in Joy Hendry Chapman 50-1 54:
the leaves o monie faas brustin alow me. Dundee 1994 Matthew Fitt in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 175:
The young lad joukit atween thaim, thair glowers brustin aboot him lyk flak. Thair een follaed him aa the wey doon the street an intae a roch-lookin pub. em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 13:
Its veins that yince ran cauld an caller,
Daffin an vauntie throu the glens,
Spew up in spleiterin cloods o reik
Tae bile an brust amang the bens.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 284:
The coffin brustit wi' a great explosion.Uls.(D) 1879 W. G. Lyttle Readings by Robin 68:
I seen it a' in a minit, an' I drappit doon on my sate an' brust oot a lauchin.

ppl.adj. brusten, brussin, breathless, exhausted; pursy, fat and flabby. See Bursen.Sc. 1827 Scott Surgeon's Daughter i.:
Canny against the hill, lasses, or we may have a brusten auld carline amang ye!Lnk. 1884 J. Nicholson Willie Waugh 72:
The wabster, sairly brusten, cursed the brae. Gall. 1898 A. J. Armstrong Levellers vi.:
I could mak' a weedin' o' thae brussin chiels mysel' gin things but lay that gate.

Comb.: bruss'n-fow, "sated with food" (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).