What does "buss" mean?
A kiss.
Buss
/bʌs/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A kiss.
- Grammar: buss is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: kiss, boat, canoe, cruiser.
- Useful contrasts: avoid, rejection, slap.
- Usage evidence: Here he gave Jones a hearty buss, shook him by the hand, and took his leave.
How to use "buss"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "buss" 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 "buss" 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 "buss" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "buss" 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 "buss" is acting as name, 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 "kiss" 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 "buss", 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 kiss. archaic
"Here he gave Jones a hearty buss, shook him by the hand, and took his leave."
- 2 A herring buss, a type of shallow-keeled Dutch fishing boat used especially for herring fishing.
"the Dutch whalers and herring busses"
- 3 Archaic form of bus (“passenger vehicle”). alt-of, archaic
"1838, Charles Dickens, "Omnibuses", Sketches by Boz We will back the machine in which we make our daily peregrination from the top of Oxford-street to the city, against any buss on the road, whether it be for the gaudiness of its exterior, the perfect simplicity of its interior, or the native coolness of its cad."
- 4 Alternative form of bussing (“enjoyable, delicious”) alt-of, alternative, slang
- 5 the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof) wordnet
Verb
- 1 To kiss (either literally or figuratively). dialectal, often, poetic, transitive
"I will thinke thou smil'st, And busse thee as thy wife."
- 2 touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc. wordnet
- 3 To kiss. intransitive
"In the faint glow of a single blue bulb hanging from a clothesline they bussed and fondled."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"Here he gave Jones a hearty buss, shook him by the hand, and took his leave."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "buss"?
Common synonyms include: kiss, boat, canoe, cruiser, ferry, galleon.
How do you use "buss" in a sentence?
Here he gave Jones a hearty buss, shook him by the hand, and took his leave.
How do you pronounce "buss"?
Pronounced /bʌs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Uncertain. First attested in the 1560s. Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰus- (“lip, to kiss”) via Proto-Germanic *busaną (compare German bussen), but in any case imitative of kissing. Compare Welsh bus (“kiss, lip”) and Irish bus (“lips, mouth”) (both may have influenced English), Persian بوس (bus, “kiss”), Latvian buča (“kiss”), Latin basium (“kiss”). Mainstream proposals like in The Free Dictionary have suggested it is a blend of old English dialect words bass (related to French baiser) and cuss (akin to kissen); perhaps compare puss.
Etymology 2
From Dutch buis.
Etymology 3
Clipping of bussing.
Etymology 4
* Occupational surname for a cooper, from Old French busse (“cask, barrel”). * Cognominal surname for someone rotund, like a barrel. * Toponymic surname for someone living or working near a bush or thicket of bushes, from Middle English bush. * Patronymic surname derived from a hypocoristic form of personal names beginning with Burg, such as Burghardt.