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View synonyms for bus

bus

1

[ buhs ]

noun

, plural bus·es, bus·ses.
  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. Electricity. Also called bus bar, 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 or bussed, bus·ing or bus·sing.
  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 or bussed, bus·ing or bus·sing.
  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 or bussed, bus·ing or bus·sing.
  1. to work or act as a busboy or busgirl:

    She bused for her meals during her student days.

bus.

3

abbreviation for

  1. business.

bus

/ bʌs /

noun

  1. a large motor vehicle designed to carry passengers between stopping places along a regular route More formal nameomnibus Sometimes calledmotorbus
  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. miss the bus
    to miss an opportunity; be too late
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of bus1

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

Origin of bus2

First recorded in 1830–40; back formation from busboy
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Word History and Origins

Origin of bus1

C19: short for omnibus
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. throw (someone or something) under the bus, Informal. 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.

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Example Sentences

Occasionally a pamphlet for a salsa class might be tossed on a doorstop or stuck on a pole near a bus stop.

The detectives learned early on that Brinsley had arrived by bus in Manhattan.

At the music studio, Brinsley would arrive by train or bus to break into the music scene.

In the video, the bus is getting searched by a cop with a German shepherd.

A few children, settler children, congregate near what appears to have been the bus station.

Passengers are requested not to stand on top of the Bus back seats for smoking.

And the same goes for any other common carrier—the railroads, bus service, and airlines.

Buying an evening paper—wearing a waistcoat again—running after a bus—anything—it's all holiday.

Henri crawled under the bus, though the policeman was extremely anxious to keep him out.

Coming up she had sat on top of the bus and watched with wide curious, eyes the strange traffic of London.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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bury the hatchetbusbar