What does "bus" mean?
A motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of people along roads.
Bus
/bʌs/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of people along roads.
- Grammar: bus is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: coach, omnibus, auto, autobus.
- Useful contrasts: bicycles, bikes, cable car.
- Usage evidence: I left your umbrella in the bus.
How to use "bus"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bus" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bus" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bus" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bus" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bus" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "coach" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bus", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of people along roads.
- 2 a vehicle carrying many passengers; used for public transport wordnet
- 3 A motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of people along roads.; A coach, a bus used for long travels. Canada, US
- 4 a car that is old and unreliable wordnet
- 5 Any motorized vehicle, such as a motorbike or car. UK, dated
"“Excuse me,” said the stranger, who turned out to be a youth in motorcycling kit, “but could you give me a hand with my bus?”"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 an electrical conductor that makes a common connection between several circuits wordnet
- 7 An electrical conductor or interface serving as a common connection for two or more circuits or components.
- 8 the topology of a network whose components are connected by a busbar wordnet
- 9 Part of a MIRV missile, having on-board motors used to deliver the warhead to a target.
- 10 An ambulance. slang
- 11 An aeroplane. slang
- 12 A network topology with each computer connected to a single cable.
Verb
- 1 To transport via a motor bus. transitive
"Because the new language school of Fu Jen University in the nearby city of Hsinchu was not yet completed, we were bused with other aspiring students of Chinese language to a farming village called Kuanhsi (Guanxi: West Pass), nestled against the tea growing hills of Hsinchu county."
- 2 To clear meal remains from. US, transitive
"He bussed tables as the restaurant emptied out."
- 3 remove used dishes from the table in restaurants wordnet
- 4 To transport students to school, often to a more distant school for the purposes of achieving racial integration. US, transitive
"But if you ask me to bus my children / I hope the cops take down your name"
- 5 To work at clearing the remains of meals from tables or counters; to work as a busboy. US, intransitive
"He’s been bussing for minimum wage."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 ride in a bus wordnet
- 7 To travel by bus. intransitive
- 8 send or move around by bus wordnet
Example
"I left your umbrella in the bus."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bus"?
Common synonyms include: coach, omnibus, auto, autobus, autobus, autocar.
How do you use "bus" in a sentence?
I left your umbrella in the bus.
How do you pronounce "bus"?
Pronounced /bʌs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Clipping of omnibus. Superseded earlier 'bus, where the apostrophe indicated a clipping. The shift in spelling likely reflects the fact that modern speakers no longer perceive this term as a clipping. The electrical sense is derived from figurative application of the automotive sense.
Etymology 2
Back-formation from busboy.
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