The AI-powered English dictionary
plural busters
(chiefly colloquial, with 'of') Someone who or something that bursts, breaks, or destroys a specified thing. quotations examples
Now death, I pray thee what is it, but a buster of bonds; a destruction of toyle?
1614, S. Jerome, Moses his Sight of Canaan, section 147
Rothlin was described... by the papers as the buster of the bandit ring.
2005, J. Madhavan, Sita & Forest Bandits, section 122
(chiefly military slang) Forming compounds denoting a team, weapon, or device specialized in the destruction of the first element. quotations
German ‘balloon busters’ attack the Dover barrage.
1940 September 2, Life, 29/1
Our main purpose in further experimentation with nuclear bombs is not... to make city-busters more horrible.
1958 February 10, Life, section 70
(chiefly colloquial, with 'of') Someone who or something that 'breaks', tames, or overpowers a specified person or thing.
(US, in particular, dated, slang) A broncobuster. quotations
The buster must be careful to keep well away from sheds and timber.
1891 July, Harper's Magazine, 208/2
Some busters caught their horses for the first time over the head, and snubbed or choked them until they fell gasping.
1964, John Hendrix, If I Can Do It Horseback: A Cow-Country Sketchbook, page 40
(chiefly law enforcement slang) Forming compounds denoting an agent or agency tasked with reducing or eliminating the first element. quotations
Men nicknamed him the ‘Booze Buster’, and cartoonists loved to picture him, revolver in hand,... fighting the demon rum.
1920, F. A. McKenzie, ‘Pussyfoot’ Johnson, v. 83
The professional fraud-busters [of the art world].
1974 July 4, New Scientist, 65/2
New York City traffic agents have become Gridlock Busters and cigarette foes are smokebusters.
1984 November 18, Times, N.Y, iv. 24/2
(dated, slang) Someone or something remarkable, especially for being loud, large, etc.. quotations
‘I had to clean this old roarer,’ continued the ‘editor’... as he wiped the barrel of his pistol. ‘She's a buster, I tell you.’
1833 April, Parthenon, section 293
What a buster of a lunch it turned out to be.
2004 November 20, South Wales Echo, section 9
(colloquial, variously expressing familiarity, admiration, or hostility) A form of address, particularly of men: guy, dude, fella, mack, buddy, loser. (Originally as 'old buster'.) quotations examples
That's generous, old buster.
1838 March 24, New Yorker, 4/1
An extremely wealthy old buster.
1919, P.G. Wodehouse, My Man Jeeves, section 79
Calvin: I'm going to watch TV all night.Mom: That's what you think, buster!
1986 February 27, Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes (comic)
‘Careful, buster,’ she said. ‘I've got a knife in my hand.’
2001, S. MacKay, Fall Guy, ix. 113
(obsolete, slang) A loaf of bread. quotations
Three penny busters, and a whole kit-full of winegar and mustard.
1835 September 16, Morning Post, 4/2
An 8oz. loaf of brown bread... goes by the name of ‘buster’, I suppose on account of the way they blow you out.
1904 June 8, Journal of the Department of Labour, New Zealand, section 536
(obsolete, slang) A drinking spree, a binge. quotations
They were on a buster, and were taken up by the police.
1848, John Russell Bartlett, Dictionary of Americanisms
All off for a buster, armstrong, hollering down the street.
1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 14: Oxen of the Sun]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], part II [Odyssey], page 405
(dated, slang) A gale, a strong wind; (especially Australia) a southerly buster. quotations
‘This is a buster,’ i.e. a powerful or heavy wind.
The Buster and Brickfielder: austral red-dust blizzard and red-hot Simoom.
1886, Frank Cowan, Australia, section 14
When the barometer drops rapidly... watch out for a strong sou'wester. A buster can be on you in a flash.
1991, J. Moore, By Way of Wind, section 121
(Australia and New Zealand) A heavy fall; (also performing arts) a staged fall, a pratfall. quotations examples
Dainty... came down ‘a buster’ at the last hurdle, and Scots Grey cantered in by himself.
1874 April, Baily's Monthly Magazine, section 114
(US, regional) A molting crab. quotations examples
In that state he is called a ‘Buster’, bursting his shell.
1855 October 18, Henry A. Wise, letter in J.P. Hambleton's Biographical Sketch of Henry A. Wise (1856), 448
Restaurant August... serves contemporary French cuisine prepared with Louisiana ingredients like buster crabs, shrimp and oysters.
2002 January 6, Times, N.Y, v. 4/6
(gambling, slang) A cheat's die whose sides bear only certain combinations of spots, so that undesirable values can never be rolled. quotations
Tops and Bottoms (also Tops, Busters, Ts, Mis-spots): These are the dice used by the professional cheats.
1961, John Scarne, Complete Guide to Gambling, page 283
To make six-eight, natural dice, or busters, he would take unspotted dice and then grind and color only the spots he wanted.
1977, National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, The Development of the Law of Gambling: 1776-1976, page 423