Showing results for "busking"

• present participle of busk.

busking

American  

[buhs-king] / bʌs kɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or practice of entertaining by dancing, singing, juggling, etc., on the street or in a public place.

   When I lived and studied in London for a year and a half, I brought my guitar along and did some busking in the streets.

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adjective

1. engaged in this kind of public entertainment.

   My interviewee was late meeting me in the square, so while waiting I struck up a conversation with a busking musician.

Etymology

Origin of busking

First recorded in 1770–80; busk ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; busk ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

busking

When Dean began writing her own songs, she occasionally tested them out while busking with Rogerson on the South Bank in London.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

While Sheeran is a household name, he started his career busking in Ipswich and playing to tiny audiences in pubs around the county.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

From the musicians busking along Venice Beach to the intimate shows at Winston House, music is part of the fabric of Venice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2025

Such large venues are a drastic change of scenery for the 31-year-old singer, who began his musical career busking in Medellín buses and streets, and was once dubbed “El Cantante Del Ghetto.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2025

The next day, right when I begin to consider a career in busking or garbage collecting, two thick envelopes arrive in the mail: one from NYU and the other from DePaul University.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez