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 WebJocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2024
Do not follow large vehicles closely — Large vehicles like trucks or buses can create a spray of water that can reduce your visibility.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Apr. 2024
The shooting 'catapulted me into activism' On the day Hamilton was shot, Camila Ahmed happened to be riding by the scene on the bus on her way to work.
—John Diedrich, Journal Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2024
The project tracks the true story of Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in the segregated South who refused to give up her seat on the bus nine months before Rosa Parks did the same.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 27 Apr. 2024
There’s also the local bus system, operated by the Greater Richmond Transit Company, and the GRTC Pulse route is an excellent option for visitors.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024
His father, Bertram, was a bus driver, and his mother, Gladys (Lay) Pinder, was a barmaid.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
The collision sent one of the buses into woods, where first responders used ladders to reach the emergency exit windows and free everyone.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2024
Jhon Valencia and Katherine Gonzalez and their 2-year-old, Thian, came on a bus from Texas routed through Denver.
—Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 26 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
Maryam Alwan figured the worst was over after New York City police in riot gear arrested her and other protesters on the Columbia University campus, loaded them onto buses and held them in custody for hours.
—Jocelyn Gecker, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2024
Do not follow large vehicles closely — Large vehicles like trucks or buses can create a spray of water that can reduce your visibility.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Apr. 2024
The shooting 'catapulted me into activism' On the day Hamilton was shot, Camila Ahmed happened to be riding by the scene on the bus on her way to work.
—John Diedrich, Journal Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2024
The project tracks the true story of Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in the segregated South who refused to give up her seat on the bus nine months before Rosa Parks did the same.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 27 Apr. 2024
There’s also the local bus system, operated by the Greater Richmond Transit Company, and the GRTC Pulse route is an excellent option for visitors.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2024
His father, Bertram, was a bus driver, and his mother, Gladys (Lay) Pinder, was a barmaid.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024
The collision sent one of the buses into woods, where first responders used ladders to reach the emergency exit windows and free everyone.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2024
Jhon Valencia and Katherine Gonzalez and their 2-year-old, Thian, came on a bus from Texas routed through Denver.
—Paloma Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 26 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 2 May. 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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