busking

American  

[buhs-king] / bʌs kɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or practice of entertaining by dancing, singing, juggling, etc., on the street or in a public place.

   When I lived and studied in London for a year and a half, I brought my guitar along and did some busking in the streets.

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adjective

1. engaged in this kind of public entertainment.

   My interviewee was late meeting me in the square, so while waiting I struck up a conversation with a busking musician.

Etymology

Origin of busking

First recorded in 1770–80; busk ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; busk ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

From the musicians busking along Venice Beach to the intimate shows at Winston House, music is part of the fabric of Venice.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025

Such large venues are a drastic change of scenery for the 31-year-old singer, who began his musical career busking in Medellín buses and streets, and was once dubbed “El Cantante Del Ghetto.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

A pop-up shop selling merchandise will be set up, and there will be live busking in Alderman Park next to Portman Road stadium from 13:30 daily.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2025

Ms Millington's challenges have so far also included barefoot running, blacksmithing, beekeeping and busking on the streets of York in a turkey outfit playing Christmas songs on a kazoo.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2025

The next day, right when I begin to consider a career in busking or garbage collecting, two thick envelopes arrive in the mail: one from NYU and the other from DePaul University.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez