busboy

American  

[buhs-boi] / ˈbʌsˌbɔɪ /

Or bus boy

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of busboy

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

Example Sentences

Hazrat, who started as a busboy, served the hotel for five decades; in a different setting, his dedication and diligence might eventually have lofted him to a leadership role.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

Something’s Fishy — the sushi place of yesteryear where my brother worked as a busboy and where sake warmed the soul after a day in the cold Pacific.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2025

Little Richard saw him sit in with a band performing at the Palm Springs Biltmore Hotel when he was a 14-year-old busboy, and before Taylor knew it, he was opening for Elvis Presley in Vegas.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2024

Boss has worked as a server at the late Thaiger Room and Rom Mai Thai; JP tended bar at Pestle Rock and, at one point, worked as a busboy at a Vegas casino.

From Seattle Times • May 9, 2024

Robbie thanked him, then gave his ten dollars to the busboy as a tip, and the five of them left the place, humming and happy.

From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper