busk

[ buhsk ]

/ bʌsk /

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verb (used without object)

to entertain by dancing, singing, reciting, juggling, etc., on the street or in a public place.

Canadian. to make a showy or noisy appeal.

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Question 1 of 7

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 busk

First recorded in 1850–55; origin unclear; perhaps, if earlier sense was “to make a living by entertaining,” from Polari, from Italian buscare “to procure, get, gain,” from Spanish buscar “to look for, seek”

OTHER WORDS FROM busk

busk·er, noun

Words nearby busk

business suit, business unionism, businesswoman, businessy, busing, busk, busker, buskin, buskined, busking, bus lane

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

How to use busk in a sentence

Because they’re also significantly lower in wattage than traditional amplifiers, practice amps consume less power, making them an all-around better choice for every day playing purposes and portable use like busking and performing in small spaces.
The best practice amps to hone your skills|Jay Cabrera|September 16, 2021|Popular-Science
Andrews and Herring both say that they’re getting more money from busking now than they did before the pandemic.
What science tells us about reducing coronavirus spread from wind instruments|Betsy Ladyzhets|August 6, 2021|Science News
I clicked open the link to a band who appeared to have journeyed from their mountain village in Russia to busk for tourists in the city square.
What Makes Music Universal - Issue 99: Universality|Kevin Berger|April 29, 2021|Nautilus
Leif and his house-carls, of whom there were ten present at the time, did not take long to busk them for the fight.
The Norsemen in the West|R.M. Ballantyne

Miss Busk gives a free adaptation rather than a translation of the German version, “Sagas,” p. 315.
The Science of Fairy Tales|Edwin Sidney Hartland
Get thee home, Ralph; follow him, Jane; he shall not have so much as a busk-point from thee.
The Mermaid Series. Edited by H. Ellis. The best plays of the old dramatists. Thomas Dekker. Edited, with an introduction and notes by Ernest Rhys.|Thomas Dekker
Septem spice plene pullulabant in culmo vno, C. busk, bush, for stalk is curious.
Selections from Early Middle English 1130-1250: Part II: Notes|Various
Any attempt at concealing pregnancy, by tight lacing and the application of a stronger busk, cannot be too severely condemned.
The Physical Life of Woman:|Dr. George H Napheys

British Dictionary definitions for busk (1 of 3)

busk¹

/ (bʌsk) /

noun

a strip of whalebone, wood, steel, etc, inserted into the front of a corset to stiffen it

archaic, or dialect the corset itself

Word Origin for busk

C16: from Old French busc, probably from Old Italian busco splinter, stick, of Germanic origin

British Dictionary definitions for busk (2 of 3)

busk²

/ (bʌsk) /

verb

(intr) British to make money by singing, dancing, acting, etc, in public places, as in front of theatre queues

Derived forms of busk

busker, nounbusking, noun

Word Origin for busk

C20: perhaps from Spanish buscar to look for

British Dictionary definitions for busk (3 of 3)

busk³

/ (bʌsk) /

verb (tr) Scot

to make ready; prepare

to dress or adorn

Word Origin for busk

C14: from Old Norse būask, from būa to make ready, dwell; see bower 1

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