bus

1 of 3

noun

ˈbəs 

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

: automobile

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)

bus

2 of 3

verb

bused also bussed; busing also bussing

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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

bus

3 of 3

abbreviation

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

But 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

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

Noun

• car
• automobile
• machine
• wheels [slang]

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 Web

Noun

Keep clear of puddles - Driving through puddles or low rainwater areas can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control Maintain a safe distance from large vehicles - Trucks or buses can produce a water spray that hampers visibility. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 29 June 2025

Some were by bus, some on foot, and some a combination of both. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2025

Verb

Kamala Harris pounded Joe Biden over his stances on busing from the 1970s—a long-ago dispute that even became fodder for J.D. Vance in 2024. —Andrew Yang, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025

Passengers used stairs to get off the plane and were bused to the terminal. —Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 12 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

short for omnibus

First Known Use

Noun

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1909, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing bus

• bus bar
• bus pass
• bus stop
• motor bus
• school bus

Rhymes for bus

• buss
• cuss
• fuss
• glace
• huss
• plus
• pus
• russ
• sus
• suss
• thus
• truss

Kids Definition

bus

1 of 2 noun

ˈbəs 

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