[f. BURST v. + -ER1.]
1. He who, or that which, bursts; spec. (Artill.) a charge of gunpowder for bursting a shell, or the bag containing it. Hence burster-bag.
1611. Cotgr., Rompeur, a burster, a breaker.
1862. F. Griffiths, Artil. Man. (ed. 9), 193. The segment shells … are each charged with a burster, containing powder.
1876. Daily News, 22 Sept., 3/5. The Palliser shells will have capacity for a 25 lbs. burster.
b. fig. ? An exhausting piece of exercise, something which ‘takes the wind out’ of one.
1851. Illustr. Lond. News, 99. A pace that would have been a burster to many a fresh man.
c. ? Racing slang. A heavy fall; a ‘cropper.’
1863. Even. Standard, 24 April. Benedict came down a burster, and was out of the race.
2. In Australia: see quot. (Usually BUSTER.)
1879. A. R. Wallace, Australasia, ii. 31. The well-known southerly ‘bursters’ are violent storms of wind occurring in summer (November to February).
