View synonyms for bus

bus

[ buhs ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural buses, busses.

a large motor vehicle, having a long body, equipped with seats or benches for passengers, usually operating as part of a scheduled service; omnibus.
(formerly) a similar horse-drawn vehicle.
a passenger automobile or airplane used in a manner resembling that of a bus.
any vehicle operated to transport children to school.
a low, movable filing cabinet.
Electricity. Also called bus bar, a heavy conductor, often made of copper in the shape of a bar, used to collect, carry, and distribute powerful electric currents, as those produced by generators.
Computers. a circuit that connects the CPU with other devices in a computer.

bused or bussed, busing or bussing.

to convey or transport by bus:
to bus the tourists to another hotel.
to transport (pupils) to school by bus, especially as a means of achieving socioeconomic or racial diversity among students in a public school.

bused or bussed, busing or bussing.

bus

[ buhs ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

bused or bussed, busing or bussing.

to work or act as a busboy or busgirl:
She bused for her meals during her student days.

bus.

bus

/ bʌs /

a large motor vehicle designed to carry passengers between stopping places along a regular route More formal nameomnibus Sometimes calledmotorbus
short for trolleybus
modifier of or relating to a bus or buses
a bus driver
a bus station
informal.
a car or aircraft, esp one that is old and shaky
electronics computing short for busbar
the part of a MIRV missile payload containing the re-entry vehicles and guidance and thrust devices
astronautics a platform in a space vehicle used for various experiments and processes
miss the bus
to miss an opportunity; be too late

to travel or transport by bus
to transport (children) by bus from one area to a school in another in order to create racially integrated classes

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Origin of bus¹

First recorded in 1825–35; short for omnibus; bus ¹def 6 short for omnibus bar

Origin of bus²

First recorded in 1830–40; back formation from busboy

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Origin of bus¹

C19: short for omnibus

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throw (someone or something) under the bus, Informal. to abandon or sacrifice to an imminent negative outcome for expedience or profit, or to protect oneself and one's interests:
The accused was asked to testify against Tony, but he refused to save himself by throwing his pal under the bus.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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