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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

busking

Beck began his career busking on the streets of New York, and eventually received some notice while playing in that city’s folk clubs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

When she was a teenager, musician Josie Oliver was performing in pubs and could regularly be seen busking in Stoke-on-Trent city centre.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

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

I belonged in a city with a constant stream of traffic noise, busy pedestrians, and musicians busking on the sidewalk.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

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