busboy
Americannoun
-
busboys
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of busboy
1910–15, bus- short for omnibus waiter's helper ( see omnibus) + boy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The man who became Buddy Bradley was born Clarence Bradley Epps in 1905 in Clarkesville, Ga. Orphaned at 14, he moved to Harrisburg, Pa., and soon went to work as a busboy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Not many Americans are both listed in the Social Register and employed as a busboy by age 9.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
I told Sun I got to know Juan Romero, the Ambassador Hotel busboy who cradled the wounded Kennedy, whom he had met earlier while delivering room service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
He stars as the busboy at a beatnik bar who uses his incredibly lifelike sculptures to impress the hip clientele.
From New York Times ● May 12, 2024
My dad got a job as a busboy and then, later on, as a dishwasher.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Night Fever goes late enough that at a certain point one of the busboys runs around with all this pizza and says, “Someone accidentally delivered all this pizza.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2022
A stay at a hotel bears witness to maids and hosts; dinner sees chefs, busboys and waiters; an excursion requires a tour guide, a driver, a boat mechanic if you’re lucky.
From New York Times ● Jul. 13, 2022
“He treated the busboys like big clients. He loved what he did and was crazy about life.”
From Washington Post ● Oct. 9, 2020
Ghost kitchens, which are popping up across the country, have no dining rooms, waiters, cashiers or busboys.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 16, 2019
“Madam, your shawl,” one of the busboys says, picking it up from the floor and handing it to her.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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