sunburst

[suhn-burst]

noun

1. a burst of sunlight; a sudden shining of the sun through rifted clouds.

2. a firework, piece of jewelry, ornament, or the like, resembling the sun with rays issuing in all directions.

adjective

1. Sewing.,  sewn or made to resemble a sunburst; having the rays or lines of design flared from a central point.

   sunburst pleats; sunburst tucks.

sunburst

/ ˈsʌnˌbɜːst /

noun

1. a burst of sunshine, as through a break in the clouds

2. a pattern or design resembling that of the sun

3. a jewelled brooch with this pattern

Word History and Origins

Origin of sunburst¹

First recorded in 1810–20; sun + burst

Example Sentences

Some of the older kids at De Anza High School in Richmond, Calif., were holding a Fender Stratocaster, glowing with an orange sunburst design.

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With effects pedals scattered at his feet, he opened a case with an orange sunburst lap-slide guitar inside.

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He made Eve the shining star — a graceful beauty, her shapely body framed by an explosive sunburst of wavy hair.

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At the upper left, the gray-bearded figure of a wise and eternal God directs the action, hovering within a dazzling golden sunburst.

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These sea anemones -- belonging to the genus Anthopleura and commonly referred to as sunburst sea anemones -- exhibit a genetic color variation that ranges from vibrant neon-green to more subdued olive or gray-green hues.

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