An unexpected blast of wind, or a bursting of water: The gusts of high wind unfortunately fanned the flames of the forest fire.

1. To make a sudden powerful blast or rush of wind: A strong wind started to gust shortly after midnight.
2. To have a powerful experience or expression of an emotion: Standing in front of his old homestead, Sam was gusting with emotions and memories.
3. To suddenly burst with water, fire, smoke, sound, etc.: The brush fire gusted and burned a large area before anyone could put it out.
4. Etymology: from 1588, possibly a dialectal survival from Old Norse gustr, "a cold blast of wind", or Old High German gussa, "flood"; both from Proto-Germanic gustiz. Believed to be originally used in English as a nautical term.