From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbusbus1 /bʌs/ ●●● S1 W2 noun (plural buses or busses especially American English) [countable] 1 TTCa large vehicle that people pay to travel onon a bus There were a lot of people on the bus.by bus The best way to get there is by bus. I took a bus to San Francisco. Buses run at 15 and 30 minutes past the hour.2 a circuit that connects the main parts of a computer so that signals can be sent from one part of the computer to anotherGRAMMAR: Patterns with bus• You usually say get on a bus: I got on the bus at the station. ‘Get in’ is much less common. • You usually say get off a bus: She got off the bus at her usual stop. ‘Get out of’ is much less common. • You usually say that someone is on a bus: All the people on the bus stared at me. ‘In a bus’ is much less common.• You go somewhere by bus: The children travel to school by bus. • You often talk about the bus: It’s quicker if you take the bus.I was waiting for the bus for the airport. COLLOCATIONSverbsgo/travel by busI usually go to work by bus.go on the bus/use the bus (=travel by bus)It’s easier to go on the bus than to drive.get/take/catch a busCan we get a bus from here to Reading?ride a bus American EnglishIt was the first time Craig had ridden a bus downtown by himself.get on/off a busSeveral more passengers got on the bus.wait for a busWe were waiting for the bus for half an hour.miss the bus (=be too late to get on a bus)He woke up late and missed the bus.a bus goes/leavesThe last bus went ten minutes ago.a bus comes/arrivesI waited and waited but the bus didn’t come.buses run (=go at regular times)The buses run less frequently on a Sunday.bus + NOUNa bus ride/journey/tripIt’s a 20-minute bus ride into town.a bus stop (=a place where a bus stops for passengers)She got off at the next bus stop.a bus shelter (=a small covered area where you wait for a bus)Some kids had vandalized the bus shelter.a bus service (=a service that provides regular buses)It’s a small village but there is a good bus service.a bus routeWe live very near a main bus route.a bus fare (=the money you pay for a bus journey)Can you lend me 50p for my bus fare?a bus ticketShe lost her bus ticket.a bus pass (=a ticket giving cheap or free bus travel)Most of the students have a termly bus pass.a bus station (=a place where buses start and finish their journeys)Dad met me at the bus station.a bus lane (=a part of the road where only buses are allowed to drive)You can be fined for driving in a bus lane.a bus driverShe asked the bus driver where to get off for the Botanical Gardens.a bus timetableThe bus timetable changes on January 31st.a bus queue British English (=a line of people waiting for a bus)We were chatting while we stood in the bus queue.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + busa school busHurry up or you’ll miss the school bus!a shuttle bus (=one that makes regular short journeys between two places)There’s a shuttle bus between the hotel and the beach.a double-decker bus (=one with two levels for passengers)London used to be famous for its double-decker buses.an open-topped bus (=one without a roof, used for showing tourists a town etc)We took a tour on an open-topped bus.a regular bus (=one that goes at regular times)Regular buses run to the airport. THESAURUSbus a large vehicle that people pay to travel onThere were a lot of people on the bus.coach British English a bus with comfortable seats used for long journeysTaking the coach is cheaper than the train.minibus a small bus with seats for six to twelve peopleThe school uses a minibus to take teams to matches.double-decker a bus with two levelsthe red double-deckers in Londonarticulated bus (also bendy bus British English) a very long bus that has a joint in the middle that allows it to go around cornersArticulated buses have been used in Europe for many years.tram British English, streetcar American English, trolley/trolley car American English a vehicle for passengers, which travels along metal tracks in the street, and usually gets power from electric lines over the vehicleWe waited at the stop for the tram.San Diego has a well-used trolley system.tram American English a vehicle with many different parts for people to sit in, and which usually has open sides. A tram runs on wheels and is used to take tourists from place to place within a particular areaThe tram takes visitors around the backlot of Universal Studios, where many famous movies were once made.
Examples from the Corpus
bus• Which of them is nearest to a bus route?• Rich Brooks looked like a guy who missed the last bus to work.• Or you can nominate friends, acquaintances, bartenders or bus drivers.• New security measures, including video surveillance cameras, come into force on the city's bus fleet this week.• We are sitting in the bus only.• I didn't know him when he got on the bus.• the bus to the airportby bus• Traveling by bus is easy in the city.busbus2 verb (bused or bussed, busing or bussing) [transitive] 1 TTCto take a person or a group of people somewhere in a busbus somebody to/in/into something Casey was bussed to the school.Grammar Bus is often passive in this meaning.2 American EnglishDLDF to take away dirty dishes from the tables in a restaurant Shelley had a job bussing tables.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
bus• Mitchell probed the leftover debris on the plates Adrian had bussed.• In 1989 the town had voted down a petition to close the school and bus the seventeen Granville students to Rochester Elementary.Origin bus1 (1800-1900) omnibus bus2 1. (1900-2000) → BUS12. (1900-2000) busboy 