# bus

/ˈbəs/ (US) · /bˈʌs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bus
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. public transport vehicle

noun · CEFR A1

a large vehicle that carries many passengers along a road, usually following a set route and schedule.

For teachers: a large motor vehicle designed to carry numerous passengers along a fixed route.

- I missed the morning bus, so I had to wait twenty minutes for the next one.
- The city council invested in a fleet of electric buses to reduce carbon emissions along the busiest commuter corridors.

### 2. computing/electronics

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a set of wires or a path that moves data or electricity between different parts of a computer.

For teachers: a communication system or set of parallel conductors that transfers data or power between components within a computer or network.

- The computer is slow because the data bus cannot move information fast enough.
- The system architecture utilizes a high-speed system bus to minimize latency between the central processing unit and the primary memory.

### 3. to travel or transport

verb · CEFR B1

to travel somewhere by bus, or to take people somewhere in a bus.

For teachers: to transport people via bus, or to travel by means of a bus. Often used transitively in North American contexts regarding school transport.

- The school buses the children to the museum for their annual field trip.
- The tour operator decided to bus the passengers to the secondary terminal after the main shuttle train broke down.

### 4. to clear tables

verb · CEFR B2 · American English

to clear away dirty dishes and leftover food from tables in a restaurant.

For teachers: to remove used dishes and clear tables in a restaurant or cafeteria. Primarily used in North American English.

- The waiter asked the assistant to bus the table so the next guests could sit down.
- During the lunch rush, the staff struggled to bus the tables quickly enough to accommodate the growing queue of patrons waiting at the door.

Usage: The person who does this job is often called a 'busser' or 'busboy'.

## Examples

- I take the bus to work every morning.
- The city recently added several electric buses to the fleet to reduce noise and pollution in the downtown area.
- While individual car ownership remains high, the municipal government is investing in a rapid transit bus system to alleviate peak-hour congestion on the main arterial roads.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.