a large motor vehicle, having a long body, equipped with seats or benches for passengers, usually operating as part of a scheduled service; omnibus.
(formerly) a similar horse-drawn vehicle.
a passenger automobile or airplane used in a manner resembling that of a bus.
any vehicle operated to transport children to school.
a low, movable filing cabinet.
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.
Computers. a circuit that connects the CPU with other devices in a computer.
to convey or transport by bus.
to bus the tourists to another hotel.
to transport (pupils) to school by bus, especially as a means of achieving socioeconomic or racial diversity among students in a public school.
Sometimes called: motorbus. More formal name: omnibus. a large motor vehicle designed to carry passengers between stopping places along a regular route
short for trolleybus
(modifier) of or relating to a bus or buses
a bus driver
a bus station
informal a car or aircraft, esp one that is old and shaky
electronics computing short for busbar
the part of a MIRV missile payload containing the re-entry vehicles and guidance and thrust devices
astronautics a platform in a space vehicle used for various experiments and processes
to miss an opportunity; be too late
to travel or transport by bus
to transport (children) by bus from one area to a school in another in order to create racially integrated classes
First recorded in 1825–35; short for omnibus; bus 1 def. 6 short for omnibus bar
First recorded in 1830–40; back formation from busboy
A bus is a long vehicle with many seats. An elementary school student might save a seat on the school bus each morning for her best friend. A city bus carries far more passengers than a private car, which makes it an efficient form of transportation. When bus is used as a verb, it means to transport by bus, sometimes in an effort to desegregate a school district: "The city will bus students from this neighborhood to the other side of town." It also means "to clear a table" in restaurant lingo, which is often done by a "bus boy" or a "busser."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Local farmer Jacko Thomas rents the field the bus crashed into, and said he counted himself "lucky" as he was due to mow there that day.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
Passengers dodge traffic and airport check-in and security lines in exchange for starting their trip in the suburbs and hopping a cheap bus to the airport.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026
A decision on freezing certain regulated rents is expected soon, though the issue of free bus travel -- a major Mamdani campaign promise -- has stalled.
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
“We’re driving to the transit station and then the bus into Manhattan,” said Robert Selmer, who was traveling with Skogmo.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 24, 2026
The bus was pulling into the school parking lot already.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
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.
