bust

Bust is a term with several distinct meanings in English, spanning art, anatomy, and law enforcement. In the context of sculpture, a bust is a representation of a person that includes the head, neck, and upper chest, typically excluding the rest of the body. Such works may be created in marble, bronze, plaster, or other materials, and have been produced since ancient times in many cultures. A famous example is the busts found in museums and collections around the world, including those from classical civilizations.

In anatomy and fashion, the word bust refers to the upper part of the torso from the neck to the chest, including the shoulders. It is also used in reference to the bust measurement, describing the circumference around the chest at its fullest point. The term can denote the silhouette or form of a person’s chest, and is common in discussions of clothing fit and sizing.

In law enforcement, a bust denotes a successful operation to apprehend or seize illicit activity, such as a drug bust or a gang bust. The verb form bust means to break up, crack, or seize, as in initiating an arrest, confiscating contraband, or interrupting a suspect’s activities.

Etymology varies by sense: the sculpture sense comes from Italian busto, while the anatomical sense uses the older English word for the chest. Across its uses, bust conveys the idea of a protruding form of the head and chest region, a upper-torso representation, or a successful disruption of illicit activity.