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Burst vs Spark - What's the difference?

burst | spark |

As nouns the difference between burst and spark

is that burst is an instance of, or the act of bursting while spark is a small particle of glowing matter, either molten or on fire or spark can be a gallant, a foppish young man.

As verbs the difference between burst and spark

is that burst is to break from internal pressure while spark is to trigger, kindle into activity (an argument, etc) or spark can be to woo, court.

burst

English

(wikipedia burst)

Noun

(en noun)
  • An instance of, or the act of bursting .
  • The bursts of the bombs could be heard miles away.
  • A series of shots fired from an automatic firearm.
  • Derived terms

    * cloudburst

    Verb

  • To break from internal pressure.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=6 citation , passage=‘[…] I remember a lady coming to inspect St. Mary's Home where I was brought up and seeing us all in our lovely Elizabethan uniforms we were so proud of, and bursting into tears all over us because “it was wicked to dress us like charity children”. […]’.}}
  • To cause to break from internal pressure.
  • (obsolete) To cause to break by any means.
  • * Shakespeare
  • You will not pay for the glasses you have burst ?
  • * Fairfax
  • He burst his lance against the sand below.
  • To separate formfeed at perforation lines.
  • To enter or exit hurriedly and unexpectedly.
  • * 1856 : (Gustave Flaubert), (Madame Bovary), Part III Chapter X, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling
  • He entered Maromme shouting for the people of the inn, burst open the door with a thrust of his shoulder, made for a sack of oats, emptied a bottle of sweet cider into the manger, and again mounted his nag, whose feet struck fire as it dashed along.
  • * 1913 , (Mariano Azuela), The Underdogs, translated by E. MunguÍa, Jr.
  • Like hungry dogs who have sniffed their meat, the mob bursts in, trampling down the women who sought to bar the entrance with their bodies.
  • To produce as an effect of bursting.
  • to burst a hole through the wall

    Derived terms

    * burst forth * burst into flame * burst out * burst someone's bubble

    spark

    English

    (wikipedia spark)

    Etymology 1

    From Middle English sparke, sperke, from Old English spearca, from (etyl) ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small particle of glowing matter, either molten or on fire.
  • A short or small burst of electrical discharge.
  • A small, shining body, or transient light; a sparkle.
  • (figuratively) A small amount of something, such as an idea, that has the potential to become something greater, just as a spark can start a fire.
  • * Shakespeare
  • if any spark of life be yet remaining
  • * John Locke
  • We have here and there a little clear light, some sparks of bright knowledge .
  • * 2013 , Phil McNulty, "[http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23830980]", BBC Sport , 1 September 2013:
  • Everton's Marouane Fellaini looks one certain arrival but Moyes, who also saw United held to a draw by Chelsea at Old Trafford on Monday, needs even more of a spark in a midfield that looked laboured by this team's standards.
  • (in plural'' sparks ''but treated as a singular ) A ship's radio operator.
  • (UK, slang) An electrician.
  • Synonyms
    * gnast * beginnings, germ, glimmer
    Derived terms
    * sparkle * bright spark * spark arrester * spark coil * spark gap * spark knock * spark of life * spark plug * spark transmitter * sparks fly

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To trigger, kindle into activity (an argument, etc).
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=May 5 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The introduction of substitute Andy Carroll sparked Liverpool into life and he pulled a goal back just after the hour - and thought he had equalised as Kenny Dalglish's side laid siege to Chelsea's goal in the closing stages.}}
  • To give off a spark or sparks.
  • Derived terms
    * spark off * sparkle

    Etymology 2

    probably Scandinavian, akin to (etyl) sparkr 'sprightly'

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A gallant, a foppish young man.
  • * Prior
  • The finest sparks and cleanest beaux.
  • A beau, lover.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To woo, court.
  • Derived terms

    * sparkish * sparker

    References

    *

    Anagrams

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