bus

Etymology

Shortening of omnibus, from Latin omnibus (“for all, for everybody”); dative plural of omnis (“all”). The electrical sense is derived from figurative application of the automotive sense.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bʌs/, [bɐs], enPR: bŭs

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /bʌs/, enPR: bŭs

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌs

Noun

bus (plural buses or busses)

1. (automotive) A motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of people along roads.
2. An electrical conductor or interface serving as a common connection for two or more circuits or components.
3. (medical industry, slang) An ambulance.

Verb

bus (third-person singular simple present busses or buses, present participle bussing or busing, simple past and past participle bussed or bused)

1. (transitive, automotive, transport) To transport via a motor bus.
2. (transitive, automotive, transport, chiefly US) To transport students to school, often to a more distant school for the purposes of achieving racial integration.
   • 2008, Ashley R. Holm, Racial Differences in Student Engagement and Attainment: A Study of Topeka High School, 1939--1984, ProQuest →ISBN, page 23

     ...to strike down Detroit's federal court order to bus students across school district lines for the purpose of desegregation and therefore nullify many busing programs throughout the country.

3. (intransitive, automotive, transport) To travel by bus.
4. (transitive, US, food service) To clear meal remains from.

   He bussed tables as the restaurant emptied out.

5. (intransitive, US, food service) To work at clearing the remains of meals from tables or counters; to work as a busboy.

   He’s been bussing for minimum wage.

Anagrams

• SBU, UBS, USB, sub, sub-, sub.

Noun

bus (plural busse, diminutive bussie)

1. (automotive) bus

Etymology 1

Cognate to Spanish buso (“underwater snail”) and Portuguese búzio (“underwater snail”), from Latin būcina (“horn”).

Etymology 2

Probably from Old Norse buza (“big wide ship”).

Etymology 3

Probably from Persian بوس‎ (bus, “kiss”).

Etymology 4

Reduction of autobús

Etymology 5

Borrowed from English bus.

Noun

bus m

1. bus (motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of people along roads)

Etymology

Shortening of omnibus, from French omnibus, from Latin omnibus (“for all”), dative plural of omnis (“all”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/, [b̥us]

Noun

bus c (singular definite bussen, plural indefinite busser)

1. bus, coach

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ʏs
• IPA^(key): /bʏs/

• audio

  (file)

Etymology 1

Shortening of omnibus, from Latin omnibus (“for everything/all”); dative plural of omnis (“all”).

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch *bussa, from Proto-Germanic *buhsijōn, *buhsuz. Compare German Büchse.

Etymology 3

See etymology on the main entry. Related to etymology 2.

Etymology 1

Etymology 2

Inflected forms.

Further reading

• “bus” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Etymology

Borrowed from English bus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bˠʊsˠ]

Noun

bus m (genitive singular bus, nominative plural busanna)

1. bus
2. (computing) bus

Mutation

Further reading

• "bus" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• “bus” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.
• Entries containing “bus” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bʊs]

Verb

bùs

1. third-person singular future tense of būti.
2. third-person plural future tense of būti.
3. third-person singular future tense of busti.
4. third-person plural future tense of busti.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /byːs/

Noun

bus m

1. hole

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *bussus, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew- (“to swell, bulge”).

Noun

bus (gender unknown)

1. (rare, poetic) lip

References

• “4 bus” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• Matasović, Ranko (2009), “*bussu-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 84

Verb

bus

1. first-person singular preterite of baithe

Etymology

Contraction of autobus, borrowed from English bus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

bus m anim (diminutive busik)

1. (colloquial) bus

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/

Noun

bus m

1. hole
   • September 2012, Daniela Cortesi, Bônanòta in la Ludla, il Papiro, page 15:

     un sorg e’ cor in priscia int e’ su bus.

     a mouse runs hastily towards its hole.

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English bus.

Etymology 2

From Old Irish bus.

Etymology

Borrowed from English bus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/

Noun

bus m (plural buses)

1. (colloquial) bus

   Synonym: autobús

Etymology

From the verb busa (“to do mischief”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bʉ͍ːs]
• Rhymes: -ʉːs

Noun

bus n (uncountable)

1. very innocent mischief, prank

   Trick or Treat is often translated with Bus eller godis

2. general noise or trouble made by gangs of youths

Etymology

Borrowed from English bus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/

Noun

bus

1. bus (vehicle)

Etymology

From English bush.

Noun

bus

1. bush (remote rural areas)
   • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Genesis 1:25 (translation here):

     God i kamapim ol kain kain animal bilong ples na ol bikpela na liklik animal bilong bus. God i lukim olgeta dispela samting i gutpela, na em i amamas.

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch busch, variant of bosch, from Old Dutch *busk, from Proto-Germanic *buskaz.

Etymology 2