Burst v. t.
1. To break or rend by violence, as by an overcharge or by strain or pressure, esp. from within; to force open suddenly; as, to burst a cannon; to burst a blood vessel; to burst open the doors.
My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage. --Shak.
2. To break. [Obs.]
You will not pay for the glasses you have burst? --Shak.
He burst his lance against the sand below. --Fairfax (Tasso).
3. To produce as an effect of bursting; as, to burst a hole through the wall.
Bursting charge. See under Charge.
Charge n.
1. A load or burder laid upon a person or thing.
2. A person or thing commited or intrusted to the care, custody, or management of another; a trust.
Note: ☞ The people of a parish or church are called the charge of the clergyman who is set over them.
3. Custody or care of any person, thing, or place; office; responsibility; oversight; obigation; duty.
'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand. --Shak.
4. Heed; care; anxiety; trouble. [Obs.]
5. Harm. [Obs.]
6. An order; a mandate or command; an injunction.
The king gave cherge concerning Absalom. --2. Sam. xviii. 5.
7. An address (esp. an earnest or impressive address) containing instruction or exhortation; as, the charge of a judge to a jury; the charge of a bishop to his clergy.
8. An accusation of a wrong of offense; allegation; indictment; specification of something alleged.
The charge of confounding very different classes of phenomena. --Whewell.
9. Whatever constitutes a burden on property, as rents, taxes, lines, etc.; costs; expense incurred; -- usually in the plural.
10. The price demanded for a thing or service.
11. An entry or a account of that which is due from one party to another; that which is debited in a business transaction; as, a charge in an account book.
12. That quantity, as of ammunition, electricity, ore, fuel, etc., which any apparatus, as a gun, battery, furnace, machine, etc., is intended to receive and fitted to hold, or which is actually in it at one time
13. The act of rushing upon, or towards, an enemy; a sudden onset or attack, as of troops, esp. cavalry; hence, the signal for attack; as, to sound the charge.
Never, in any other war afore, gave the Romans a hotter charge upon the enemies. --Holland.
The charge of the light brigade. --Tennyson.
14. A position (of a weapon) fitted for attack; as, to bring a weapon to the charge.
15. Far. A sort of plaster or ointment.
16. Her. A bearing. See Bearing, n., 8.
17. Thirty-six pigs of lead, each pig weighing about seventy pounds; -- called also charre.
18. Weight; import; value.
Many suchlike =\“as's” of great charge.\= --Shak.
Back charge. See under Back, a.
Bursting charge. (a) Mil. The charge which bursts a shell, etc. (b) Mining A small quantity of fine powder to secure the ignition of a charge of coarse powder in blasting.
Charge and discharge Equity Practice, the old mode or form of taking an account before a master in chancery.
Charge sheet, the paper on which are entered at a police station all arrests and accusations.
To sound the charge, to give the signal for an attack.
Syn: -- Care; custody; trust; management; office; expense; cost; price; assault; attack; onset; injunction; command; order; mandate; instruction; accusation; indictment.
◄ ►
bursting charge
n : a quantity of explosive to be set off at one time; "this
cartridge has a powder charge of 50 grains" [syn: charge,
burster, explosive charge]