busboy

or bus boy

[ buhs-boi ]

/ ˈbʌsˌbɔɪ /

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noun

a waiter's helper in a restaurant or other public dining room.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of busboy

1910–15, Americanism;bus- short for omnibus waiter's helper (see omnibus) + boy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use busboy in a sentence

"Thank you," said Clancy, and followed the 'bus-boy porter up two flights of stairs.
Find the Woman|Arthur Somers Roche
She had almost finished when Paul, the 'bus-boy porter, knocked at her door.
Find the Woman|Arthur Somers Roche
The slender bus boy who hovered about the place did not appear to notice them.
The Arrow of Fire|Roy J. Snell
A 'bus-boy emerged from the dining-room, wiping his hands upon a soiled apron.
Find the Woman|Arthur Somers Roche

Did the new bus boy take cognizance of it on that first night of service?
The Arrow of Fire|Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for busboy

bus boy

noun

US and Canadian a waiter's assistant

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