plural buses also busses
often attributive
1
a
: a large motor vehicle designed to carry passengers usually along a fixed route according to a schedule
took the bus to work
double-decker buses
waiting at the bus stop
b
2
: a small hand truck
3
a
electrical engineering
: bus bar
b
computers
: a set of parallel conductors (see conductor sense d(1)) in a computer system that forms a main transmission path
4
: a spacecraft or missile that carries one or more detachable devices (such as warheads)
bused also bussed; busing also bussing
1
: to travel by a large motor vehicle designed to carry passengers usually along a fixed route according to a schedule : to travel by bus
2
: to work as a busboy
1
: to transport by bus
busing kids to school
Students were bused in for the game.
2
a
: clear sense 4d
bus dishes
b
: to remove dirty dishes from
bus tables
business
Phrases
throw (someone) under the bus
informal
: to criticize, blame, or punish (someone in a vulnerable position) especially in order to avoid blame or gain an advantage
… we will not throw any student under the bus for instant restoration of our image or our reputation.—
Donna Shalala
Donna ShalalaBut he went out of his way to make clear that this one wasn't really on him. The problem lay with underlings, whom he quickly threw under the bus.—Rem Rieder
Rem Rieder
Did you know?
The History of Bus
In 1661, mathematician Blaise Pascal conceived the world’s first bus service, proposing that a number of coaches should “circulate along predetermined routes in Paris at regular intervals regardless of the number of people,” and pick up passengers for a small fixed fare. The word bus is short for omnibus, which means “for everyone.” Bus was first used in this sense in the 1830s, its "everyone" meaning referencing the fact that anyone could join the coach along its route, unlike with stagecoaches, which had to be pre-booked.
Synonyms
Examples of bus in a Sentence
Noun
She boarded a bus in Nashville.
Are you traveling by train or by bus?
Verb
He buses tables at the local diner.
Recent Examples on the WebHope Hodge Seck, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
The Bondi Junction Westfield, as the mall is officially known, is a popular spot to meet, eat, catch a movie, and just hang out, while figuring out where the frick the right bus leaves from.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Win it, or get back on that bus and go home for good.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Board members voted to end bus transportation for the vast majority of JCPS magnet schools next year and to move all schools to one of three start times: 7:40, 8:40 or 9:40 a.m.This school year, there have been nine different start times for schools.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 12 Apr. 2024
After journeying through the Darién Gap and crossing the border in December, Ms. Hernandez and her family turned themselves in to immigration authorities in Texas and then traveled by bus to Colorado.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Two teenage boys were arrested Thursday in connection with a stabbing on a bus in the Ridgeview-Webster neighborhood that police believe may be gang-related.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
China’s vehicle exports, including trucks and buses, rose 33.2% in the first three months of this year to 1.3 million units, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said Wednesday.
—Ken Moritsugu, Fortune Asia, 11 Apr. 2024
The Mansfield school district’s R.L Anderson Stadium is almost 70 years old, and there are 100 buses that need to be replaced.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2024
Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 12 Apr. 2024
Many recent immigrants have concentrated in certain cities, often to be near other immigrants or in some cases because they were bused there by the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, after crossing the border.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Carmona also reached out to his political contacts throughout California to sound the alarms of what was happening to these migrants, who were among many over the past two years bused or flown from southern U.S. states to immigration sanctuary cities with similar false promises.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Since 1978, the nonprofit has been busing friends and families of inmates to Virginia prisons at nominal sums.
—Ian Shapira, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
The mayor's office announced Wednesday that Roadrunners Charters, Inc. will no longer bus migrants to New York City or the surrounding area while the case is pending.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
City officials have stated that more than 180,000 asylum-seekers have passed through the city's intake system since spring 2022, in some cases bused in by officials from cities along the U.S. southern border.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024
Mexico’s efforts have included forcing migrants from trains, flying and busing them to the southern part of the country, and flying some home to Venezuela.
—Christopher Sherman, Elliot Spagat, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2024
But many speakers who packed the school board meeting Tuesday disagreed, telling board members that taking away busing would hurt children and result in more segregated schools and fewer opportunities for students.
—The Courier-Journal, 27 Mar. 2024
Noun
The Van Dorn Street Metro station, with a bus hub and on the Blue Line, is a two-minute drive or a 15-minute walk.
—Hope Hodge Seck, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
The Bondi Junction Westfield, as the mall is officially known, is a popular spot to meet, eat, catch a movie, and just hang out, while figuring out where the frick the right bus leaves from.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024
Win it, or get back on that bus and go home for good.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Board members voted to end bus transportation for the vast majority of JCPS magnet schools next year and to move all schools to one of three start times: 7:40, 8:40 or 9:40 a.m.This school year, there have been nine different start times for schools.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 12 Apr. 2024
After journeying through the Darién Gap and crossing the border in December, Ms. Hernandez and her family turned themselves in to immigration authorities in Texas and then traveled by bus to Colorado.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Two teenage boys were arrested Thursday in connection with a stabbing on a bus in the Ridgeview-Webster neighborhood that police believe may be gang-related.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
China’s vehicle exports, including trucks and buses, rose 33.2% in the first three months of this year to 1.3 million units, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said Wednesday.
—Ken Moritsugu, Fortune Asia, 11 Apr. 2024
The Mansfield school district’s R.L Anderson Stadium is almost 70 years old, and there are 100 buses that need to be replaced.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2024
Verb
More:Hastily called school board meeting on JCPS magnet busing outrages community
The district has not announced what time slot will be assigned to each school.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 12 Apr. 2024
Many recent immigrants have concentrated in certain cities, often to be near other immigrants or in some cases because they were bused there by the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, after crossing the border.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Carmona also reached out to his political contacts throughout California to sound the alarms of what was happening to these migrants, who were among many over the past two years bused or flown from southern U.S. states to immigration sanctuary cities with similar false promises.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
Since 1978, the nonprofit has been busing friends and families of inmates to Virginia prisons at nominal sums.
—Ian Shapira, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
The mayor's office announced Wednesday that Roadrunners Charters, Inc. will no longer bus migrants to New York City or the surrounding area while the case is pending.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
City officials have stated that more than 180,000 asylum-seekers have passed through the city's intake system since spring 2022, in some cases bused in by officials from cities along the U.S. southern border.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024
Mexico’s efforts have included forcing migrants from trains, flying and busing them to the southern part of the country, and flying some home to Venezuela.
—Christopher Sherman, Elliot Spagat, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Mar. 2024
But many speakers who packed the school board meeting Tuesday disagreed, telling board members that taking away busing would hurt children and result in more segregated schools and fewer opportunities for students.
—The Courier-Journal, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bus
Cite this Entry
“Bus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bus. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bus
1 of 2 noun
plural buses also busses
1
: a large motor vehicle for carrying passengers
2
: a conductor or group of conductors for collecting electric currents and sending them to outgoing wires
bus
2 of 2 verb
bused also bussed; busing also bussing
: to travel or transport by bus
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