sunburst

American  

[suhn-burst] / ˈsʌnˌbɜrst /

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 British  

/ 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

---

Etymology

Origin of sunburst

First recorded in 1810–20; sun + burst

Example Sentences

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.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2024

The stage lights at one point seemed to illuminate nothing but the sunburst pattern on his bass and Jones wondered if it was the same instrument McCartney had played in the early ’60s.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 16, 2024

Mohawk warrior flags, which feature the face of an indigenous man superimposed on a yellow sunburst on a red background, wave in the wind.

From BBC • Jul. 27, 2023

She opened with Nina Shekhar’s “Lumina,” a short sunburst of a piece, which was written while the composer was a student at USC.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 12, 2022

"The two with die white sunburst, were they?"

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin