bus

¹

[buhs]

noun

plural

buses, busses 

1. a large motor vehicle, having a long body, equipped with seats or benches for passengers, usually operating as part of a scheduled service; omnibus.

2. (formerly) a similar horse-drawn vehicle.

3. a passenger automobile or airplane used in a manner resembling that of a bus.

4. any vehicle operated to transport children to school.

5. a low, movable filing cabinet.

6. Also called busbar. Also called bus bar,. Electricity.,  a heavy conductor, often made of copper in the shape of a bar, used to collect, carry, and distribute powerful electric currents, as those produced by generators.

7. Computers.,  a circuit that connects the CPU with other devices in a computer.

verb (used with object)

bused, bussed, busing, bussing. 

1. to convey or transport by bus.

   to bus the tourists to another hotel.

2. to transport (pupils) to school by bus, especially as a means of achieving socioeconomic or racial diversity among students in a public school.

verb (used without object)

bused, bussed, busing, bussing. 

1. to travel on or by means of a bus.

   We bused to New York on a theater trip.

bus

²

[buhs]

verb (used with or without object)

bused, bussed, busing, bussing. 

1. to work or act as a busboy or busgirl.

   She bused for her meals during her student days.

bus.

³

abbreviation

1. business.

bus

/ bʌs /

noun

1. Sometimes called: motorbus. More formal name: omnibus. a large motor vehicle designed to carry passengers between stopping places along a regular route

2. short for trolleybus

3. (modifier) of or relating to a bus or buses

   a bus driver

   a bus station

4. informal,  a car or aircraft, esp one that is old and shaky

5. electronics computing short for busbar

6. the part of a MIRV missile payload containing the re-entry vehicles and guidance and thrust devices

7. astronautics a platform in a space vehicle used for various experiments and processes

8. to miss an opportunity; be too late

verb

1. to travel or transport by bus

2. to transport (children) by bus from one area to a school in another in order to create racially integrated classes

Word History and Origins

Origin of bus¹

First recorded in 1825–35; short for omnibus; bus ¹ def. 6 short for omnibus bar

Origin of bus²

First recorded in 1830–40; back formation from busboy

Word History and Origins

Origin of bus¹

C19: short for _omnibus

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. throw (someone or something) under the bus, to abandon or sacrifice to an imminent negative outcome for expedience or profit, or to protect oneself and one's interests.

   The accused was asked to testify against Tony, but he refused to save himself by throwing his pal under the bus.

Example Sentences

He would sneak on the bus to training, playing as a striker and scoring goals on the pitches built by drug lord Pablo Escobar, only donning the gloves after a team-mate was injured.

From BBC

"It's impossible to check bus routes or timetables," says Konstantin, a resident who also asked to change his name.

From BBC

He loved how every game day, they loaded the team into old yellow school buses, and together, they sang the “Valley Song.”

From Los Angeles Times

More than 2,000 bus drivers in Greater Manchester are set to strike and cause "major disruption" to the network, the transport workers union has said.

From BBC

Katharine and a friend went on a greyhound bus trip to Mexico.

From BBC