bus

See also: Appendix:Variations of "bus"

English

A bus (motor vehicle).

Etymology

Clipping of omnibus, from French omnibus from Latin omnibus (“for all, for everybody”); dative plural of omnis (“all”). The electrical sense is derived from figurative application of the automotive sense.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʌs/, enPR: bŭs
• (Northern England, Ireland) IPA^(key): /bʊs/
• (General Australian, General New Zealand, Received Pronunciation, Scotland, Mid-Atlantic) IPA^(key): /bɐs/
• (Northern Cities Vowel Shift, Ireland) IPA^(key): /bɔs/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌs

Noun

bus (plural buses or busses)

1. (automotive) A motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of people along roads.
2. An electrical conductor or interface serving as a common connection for two or more circuits or components.
3. (medical industry, slang) An ambulance.

Synonyms

• (electrical conductor): electrical bus, busbar, digit trunk
• (vehicle): autobus, coach, loser cruiser, motorbus, multibus, omnibus, Shillibeer (obsolete)

Hyponyms

• booze bus
• computer bus
• short bus

 

Derived terms

• busbar
• bus duct
• bus lane
• bus replacement service
• bus route
• bus shelter
• bus stand
• bus station
• bus stop
• bustitution
• drive the porcelain bus
• electric bus
• like the back end of a bus
• minibus
• open-top bus
• railbus
• trolleybus

 

Descendants

Descendants

• ⇒ Burmese: ဘတ်စ်ကား (bhatcka:)
• Chinese:
  • Cantonese: 巴士 (baa1 si6-2)
    • → Mandarin: 巴士 (bāshì)
• German: Bus m
• Irish: bus
• Japanese: バス (basu)
• Malay: bas
• Scottish Gaelic: bus
• Tibetan: འབའ་སེ ('ba' se)
• Welsh: bws

Translations

See bus/translations § Noun.

Verb

bus (third-person singular simple present busses or buses, present participle bussing or busing, simple past and past participle bussed or bused)

1. (transitive, automotive, transport) To transport via a motor bus.
2. (transitive, automotive, transport, chiefly US) To transport students to school, often to a more distant school for the purposes of achieving racial integration.
   • 1966, Phil Ochs, "Love Me, I'm a Liberal", Phils Ochs in Concert.

     But if you ask me to bus my children / I hope the cops take down your name

   • 2008, Ashley R. Holm, Racial Differences in Student Engagement and Attainment: A Study of Topeka High School, 1939--1984, ProQuest →ISBN, page 23

     ...to strike down Detroit's federal court order to bus students across school district lines for the purpose of desegregation and therefore nullify many busing programs throughout the country.

3. (intransitive, automotive, transport) To travel by bus.
4. (transitive, US, food service) To clear meal remains from.

   He bussed tables as the restaurant emptied out.

   • 2019, Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, Fleet, page 13:

     He was hired to bus tables, but after a few incidents they moved him to the kitchen.

5. (intransitive, US, food service) To work at clearing the remains of meals from tables or counters; to work as a busboy.

   He’s been bussing for minimum wage.

Usage notes

The Canadian Oxford Dictionary only presents the spellings buses, busing, and bused, implying that these are the predominant forms in Canada.

Derived terms

• (clear meal remains): busboy

Translations

See bus/translations § Verb.

Anagrams

• SBU, UBS, USB, sub, sub-, sub.

---

Afrikaans

Noun

bus (plural busse, diminutive bussie)

1. (automotive) bus

---

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈbus/
• Homophone: vos (Central)

Etymology 1

Cognate to Spanish buso (“underwater snail”) and Portuguese búzio (“underwater snail”), from Latin būcina (“horn”).

Noun

bus m or f (plural bussos)

1. diver

Etymology 2

Probably from Old Norse buza (“big wide ship”).

Noun

bus m (plural bussos)

1. (archaic) A large sailing ship used in the 12th and 13th centuries, broad of beam and with two or three masts.

Etymology 3

Probably from Persian بوس‎ (bus, “kiss”).

Noun

bus m (plural busos)

1. (archaic) flattery

Usage notes

Only found in the phrase fer lo bus (“to kiss up”).

Etymology 4

Clipping of autobús.

Noun

bus m (plural busos)

1. bus (vehicle)

Etymology 5

Borrowed from English bus.

Noun

bus m (plural busos)

1. bus (electrical connector)

---

Cimbrian

Etymology

From Italian bus, a clipping of omnibus, from French omnibus.

Noun

bus m

1. (Luserna) bus (vehicle)

   Benn rifta dar bus? ― What time does the bus come?

References

• “bus” in Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

---

Czech

Noun

bus m

1. bus (motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of people along roads)

Synonyms

• autobus

---

Danish

Etymology

Shortening of omnibus, from French omnibus, from Latin omnibus (“for all”), dative plural of omnis (“all”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/, [b̥us]

Noun

bus c (singular definite bussen, plural indefinite busser)

1. bus, coach

Inflection

Declension of bus

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	bus	bussen	busser	busserne
genitive	bus’	bussens	bussers	bussernes

---

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʏs/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: bus
• Rhymes: -ʏs

Etymology 1

Shortening of omnibus, from Latin omnibus (“for everything/all”); dative plural of omnis (“all”).

Noun

bus m (plural bussen, diminutive busje n)

1. (transport) bus, omnibus (vehicle)
2. (transport, in diminutive) minibus, minivan
3. bus (electrical conductor)

Derived terms

• autobus
• bestelbus
• bibliobus
• busbaan
• buschauffeur
• bushalte
• buurtbus
• hippiebus
• kippenbus
• lijnbus
• minibus
• schoolbus
• snelbus
• stadsbus
• streekbus

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch busse, from Old Dutch *bussa, from Proto-Germanic *buhsijǭ, *buhsuz. Compare German Büchse and English box.

Noun

bus f (plural bussen, diminutive busje n)

1. container, box, tin
2. bushing
3. (chiefly historical) one of a variety of early modern firearms, such as flintlock and matchlock guns

Derived terms

• brievenbus
• broodbus
• busmeester
• drinkbus
• haakbus
• schoolbus

Related terms

• buks

Descendants

• → Indonesian: bis (“letterbox, mailbox”)

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the main entry. Related to etymology 2.

Verb

bus

1. first-person singular present indicative of bussen
2. imperative of bussen

---

French

Etymology 1

Clipping of omnibus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bys/
• Homophones: busse, busses, bussent

Noun

bus m or f (plural bus)

1. bus

Synonyms

• autobus

Etymology 2

Inflected forms.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /by/
• Homophones: bu, bue, bues, but, bût

Verb

bus

1. first-person singular past historic of boire
2. second-person singular past historic of boire

Verb

bus m pl

1. masculine plural of the past participle of boire

Further reading

• “bus” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

---

Indonesian

Etymology 1

From Dutch bus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/
• Hyphenation: bus

Noun

bus (plural, first-person possessive busku, second-person possessive busmu, third-person possessive busnya)

1. bus

Alternative forms

• bis (nonstandard)

Etymology 2

Onomatopoeic, related to hembus

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/
• Hyphenation: bus

Noun

bus (plural, first-person possessive busku, second-person possessive busmu, third-person possessive busnya)

1. wind

Further reading

• “bus” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.

---

Irish

Etymology

Borrowed from English bus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bˠʊsˠ]

Noun

bus m (genitive singular bus, nominative plural busanna)

1. bus
2. (computing) bus

Declension

Declension of bus

Fourth declension

Bare forms Case Singular Plural Nominative bus busanna Vocative a bhus a bhusanna Genitive bus busanna Dative bus busanna

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Plural Nominative an bus na busanna Genitive an bhus na mbusanna Dative leis an mbus don bhus leis na busanna

Derived terms

• bus altach (“bendy bus”)
• busáras, stáisiún bus (“bus station”)
• bus dhá stór, bus dhá urlár (“double decker bus”)
• buslána, lána bus (“bus lane”)
• bus scoile (“school bus”)
• bus tralaí (“trolleybus”)
• líne busanna (“bus line”)
• pas bus (“bus pass”)
• scáthlán bus (“bus shelter”)
• stad bus (“bus-stop”)
• stiúrthóir bus (“bus conductor”)
• tairseach bus (“platform of bus”)
• tiománaí bus (“bus-driver”)

 

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
bus	bhus	mbus
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• "bus" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• “bus” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.
• Entries containing “bus” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.

---

Lithuanian

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bʊs]

Verb

bùs

1. third-person singular future of būti
2. third-person plural future of būti
3. third-person singular future of busti
4. third-person plural future of busti

---

Lombard

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /byːs/

Noun

bus m

1. hole

---

Middle Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *bussus, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew- (“to swell, bulge”).

Noun

bus (gender unknown)

1. (rare, poetic) lip

Descendants

• Scottish Gaelic: bus

References

• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019) , “4 bus”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Matasović, Ranko (2009) , “*bussu-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 9), Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 84

---

Norman

Verb

bus

1. first-person singular preterite of baithe

---

Polish

Etymology

Contraction of autobus, borrowed from English bus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

bus m anim (diminutive busik)

1. (colloquial) bus

Declension

declension of bus

	singular	plural
nominative	bus	busy
genitive	busa	busów
dative	busowi	busom
accusative	busa	busy
instrumental	busem	busami
locative	busie	busach
vocative	busie	busy

Further reading

• bus in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• bus in Polish dictionaries at PWN

---

Romagnol

FWOTD – 6 April 2014

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/

Noun

bus m

1. hole
   • September 2012, Daniela Cortesi, Bônanòta in la Ludla, il Papiro, page 15:

     un sorg e’ cor in priscia int e’ su bus.

     a mouse runs hastily towards its hole.

---

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pus̪/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English bus.

Noun

bus m (genitive singular bus, plural busaichean)

1. bus

Etymology 2

From Middle Irish bus.

Noun

bus m (genitive singular buis, plural buis or busan)

1. mouth

   Synonym: beul

2. pout (facial expression)

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
bus	bhus
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

---

Somali

Noun

bus ?

1. dust

---

Spanish

Etymology

Shortening of autobús or borrowed from English bus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/

Noun

bus m (plural buses)

1. Clipping of autobús; bus

   Synonym: autobús

Derived terms

• bus de cortesía

Related terms

• ómnibus
• trolebús

 

---

Swedish

Etymology

From the verb busa (“to do mischief”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʉːs/, [bʉ͍ːs]
• Rhymes: -ʉːs

Noun

bus n (uncountable)

1. very innocent mischief, prank

   Trick or Treat is often translated with Bus eller godis

2. general noise or trouble made by gangs of youths

Declension

Declension of bus
	Uncountable
	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	bus	buset	—	—
Genitive	bus	busets	—	—

Derived terms

• busig
• NetBus

Anagrams

• sub

---

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English bus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bus/

Noun

bus

1. bus (vehicle)

Related terms

• sasakyan
• kotse
• transit

---

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English bush.

Noun

bus

1. bush (remote rural areas)
   • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, 1:25:

     God i kamapim ol kain kain animal bilong ples na ol bikpela na liklik animal bilong bus. God i lukim olgeta dispela samting i gutpela, na em i amamas.

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. Tok Pisin is subject to a special exemption for languages with limited documentation. If you speak it, please consider editing this entry or adding citations. See also Help and the Community Portal.

Derived terms

• bus kanaka

---

West Flemish

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch busch, variant of bosch, from Old Dutch *busc, from Proto-Germanic *buskaz.

Noun

bus n

1. forest

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Same as Dutch "bus", but is it derived from that or shortened from "omnibus" independently?”)

Noun

bus m

1. bus