English Explanatory Dictionary

buss

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A kiss.
verb
  1. To kiss (either literally or figuratively).
  2. To kiss.
noun
  1. A herring buss, a type of shallow-keeled Dutch fishing boat used especially for herring fishing.
noun
  1. Archaic form of bus (“passenger vehicle”).
noun
  1. Alternative form of bussing (“enjoyable, delicious”)
noun
  1. A blunderbuss.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/bʌs/ en-Buss.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-buss.wav /bʊs/

Word forms

buss busses bussing bussed

Etymology

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.

Related words

buss down buss-down buss it down buss-up-shut
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