Bus Definition, Pronunciation, and Usage Examples

Meaning 1：public bus (bus)

bus 🔊

/bʌs/

A large vehicle that carries many passengers on roads, usually following a fixed route and timetable.

public bus 🔊

➕

/ˈpʌblɪk bʌs/

A large vehicle designed to carry many passengers along a fixed route, typically in cities.

📁 Category：Transportation & Travel 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'omnibus' (for all), shortened. 'Omni-' = all, '-bus' = dative plural.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'Bring Us Safely' – bus is a safe way to travel.

📖 Example

Every weekday, she takes the bus from her apartment to the university campus. 🔊 Every weekday, she takes the bus from her apartment to the university campus.

🔗 Collocations

take the bus – to ride a bus as a passenger

bus stop – a designated place where buses pick up and drop off passengers

bus driver – the person who operates a bus

🔄 Synonyms

coach (n.) – a larger, more comfortable bus used for long journeys

minibus (n.) – a small bus for fewer passengers

trolleybus (n.) – a bus powered by overhead electric wires

🚫 Antonyms

private car (n.) – a personal vehicle not shared with others

bicycle (n.) – a two-wheeled vehicle that is not a bus

🌱 Derivatives

busing (n.) – the practice of transporting students by bus

busload (n.) – a full load of passengers on a bus

busman (n.) – a bus driver (dated)

📖 Cultural Story

In the 1820s, the first public horse-drawn carriages in Paris were called 'omnibus' (Latin for 'for all'). The term was quickly shortened to 'bus' in English, becoming the standard for motorized public transport in the 20th century.