# buster

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #15,581

## Definitions
1. Someone who or something that bursts, breaks, or destroys a specified thing.
2. Forming compounds denoting a team, weapon, or device specialized in the destruction of the first element.
3. Someone who or something that 'breaks', tames, or overpowers a specified person or thing.
4. Someone who or something that 'breaks', tames, or overpowers a specified person or thing.
5. Someone or something remarkable, especially for being loud, large, etc.
6. Someone or something remarkable, especially for being loud, large, etc.
7. A loaf of bread.
8. A drinking spree, a binge.
9. A gale, a strong wind; (especially Australia) a southerly buster.
10. A heavy fall; (also performing arts) a staged fall, a pratfall.
11. A molting crab.
12. A cheat's die whose sides bear only certain combinations of spots, so that undesirable values can never be rolled.

## Etymology
Originally a dialectal variant of burster; later influenced by bust + -er.
The combining form of the term has appeared from the early 20th century but been especially prolific during three periods: in the 1930s, owing to the success of the radio series Gang Busters; in the 1940s, owing to its appearance as military slang; and in the 1980s, owing to the success of the movie Ghostbusters.

## Easily confused with
- **bute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-bute)
- **buyer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-buyer)
- **busts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-busts)
- **butte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-butte)
- **busty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-busty)
- **butter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-butter)
- **butler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-butler)
- **buzzer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-buzzer)
- **bustle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-bustle)
- **butted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-butted)
- **butters** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-butters)
- **buttery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buster-vs-buttery)
- **bust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bust-vs-buster)
- **biter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/biter-vs-buster)
- **busta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/busta-vs-buster)
- **better** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/better-vs-buster)
- **bitter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bitter-vs-buster)
- **burger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/burger-vs-buster)
- **buffer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/buffer-vs-buster)
- **busted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/busted-vs-buster)

## Common misspellings (9)
`bbuster`, `bsuter`, `busetr`, `busster`, `busterr`, `bustre`, `bustter`, `butser`, `ubster`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/buster