bus
buhs
Bus (noun) means a large motor vehicle that carries many passengers along a fixed route. Example: “We missed the last bus and had to walk home in the rain.”
noun
1
A large motor vehicle that carries many passengers along a fixed route.
"We missed the last bus and had to walk home in the rain."
"She takes the bus to work every morning."
"The school bus arrives at eight sharp."
2
A pathway in a computer that carries data between components.
"A faster bus lets the memory and the processor exchange data more quickly."
"Engineers redesigned the bus on the motherboard to reduce delays."
"The data travels along the system bus to the processor."
verb
1
To transport people by bus.
"The council buses children to the swimming pool every Friday."
"Workers were bused to the factory from the edge of town each morning."
"Students were bused in from nearby towns for the assembly."
2
To clear dirty dishes from tables, typically in a restaurant.
"Could you bus table four while I take this order?"
"The waiter was busing plates when the manager called him over."
"He spent the summer busing tables at a diner."
How to use bus
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA large vehicle for carrying passengers; also, in computing, a channel that carries data between parts of a machine.
Common pairings
catch the bus
bus stop
bus route
bus tables
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Word forms
- Plural
- buses, busses
- Third person singular
- buss, busses
- Past tense
- bused, bussed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We missed the last _____ and had to walk home in the rain.
Etymology
A clipping of "omnibus," Latin for "for all" — originally the name for a horse-drawn public passenger vehicle in 19th-century France.
Class of 1800
bus joined the language around 1800.
See the full Class of 1800 →
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “bus” mean?
The word “bus” means a large motor vehicle that carries many passengers along a fixed route. In plain terms, a large vehicle for carrying passengers; also, in computing, a channel that carries data between parts of a machine.
How do you pronounce “bus”?
“Bus” is pronounced buhs (/bʌs/ in IPA).
How do you use “bus” in a sentence?
Here is “bus” used in a sentence: “She takes the bus to work every morning.”
What part of speech is “bus”?
Depending on how it is used, “bus” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “bus” come from?
The word “bus” dates back to around 1800 and comes from Latin. A clipping of "omnibus," Latin for "for all" — originally the name for a horse-drawn public passenger vehicle in 19th-century France.
Is “bus” a common word?
“Bus” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “bus” have?
“Bus” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large motor vehicle that carries many passengers along a fixed route.
What is the difference between a bus and a coach?
A bus is built for shorter, local journeys, with lower-backed seats, room for standing passengers, and frequent stops along a set route. A coach is designed for long-distance travel, with higher-backed reclining seats, luggage holds, and few or no stops. In everyday speech, though, many people simply call both of them buses.
What are the types of buses?
Common types include the single-decker and the double-decker, the small minibus, and the long articulated or 'bendy' bus. There are also specialised buses such as school buses, airport shuttles, open-top sightseeing buses, and long-distance coaches. They vary in size and layout but share the job of carrying many passengers along a route.
What is the difference between a bus and a tram?
A bus is a road vehicle that runs on tyres and can go anywhere the roads allow, powered by its own engine. A tram runs on fixed rails set into the street, usually drawing electric power from overhead wires. Both carry many passengers on set routes, but only the bus can freely change its path.
Why is it called a bus?
Bus is short for omnibus, a Latin word meaning 'for all', reflecting that these vehicles carry the general public rather than private passengers. The full term was used for early horse-drawn public carriages in the nineteenth century, and over time everyday speech clipped omnibus down to the short, familiar word bus we use now.
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