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bus

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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

bus¹

  • /bʌs/
  • /bʊs/ Ireland, Northern England
  • /bʌs/ Scotland
  • /bɐs/ Australia, Mid Atlantic, New Zealand, Philippines
  • /bɔs/
  • /bʊz/

Sounds like Buss, buss · Rhymes with -ʌs

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-der.

Proto-Italic *opnis

Latin omnis

Latin omnibuslbor.

French omnibusbor.

English omnibusclip.

English bus

Clipping of omnibus. Superseded earlier 'bus, where the apostrophe indicated a clipping. The shift in spelling likely reflects the fact that modern speakers no longer perceive this term as a clipping. The electrical sense is derived from figurative application of the automotive sense.

noun buses · busses · 'bus

  1. A motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of people along roads. I'm on the bus.
  2. Canada, US A coach, a bus used for long travels.
  3. UK, dated Any motorized vehicle, such as a motorbike or car. “Excuse me,” said the stranger, who turned out to be a youth in motorcycling kit, “but could you give me a hand with my bus?”
  4. An electrical conductor or interface serving as a common connection for two or more circuits or components.
  5. Part of a MIRV missile, having on-board motors used to deliver the warhead to a target.
  6. slang An ambulance.
  7. slang An aeroplane.
  8. A network topology with each computer connected to a single cable.

verb buses · busses · busing · bussing · bused

  1. transitive To transport via a motor bus. Because the new language school of Fu Jen University in the nearby city of Hsinchu was not yet completed, we were bused with other aspiring students of Chinese language to a farming village called Kuanhsi (Guanxi: West Pass), nestled against the tea growing hills of Hsinchu county.
  2. US, transitive To transport students to school, often to a more distant school for the purposes of achieving racial integration. But if you ask me to bus my children / I hope the cops take down your name
  3. intransitive To travel by bus.

bus²

Where it comes from

Back-formation from busboy.

verb buses · busses · busing · bussing · bused

  1. US, transitive To clear meal remains from. He bussed tables as the restaurant emptied out.
  2. US, intransitive To work at clearing the remains of meals from tables or counters; to work as a busboy. He’s been bussing for minimum wage.

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