busload
UK[ˈbʌsləʊd]US[ˈbʌsloʊd]
n
The number of people that a bus can carry; a bus full of people.
Morpheme Breakdown
bus
load
bus
vehicle
load
amount carried
Etymology
The word is a modern English compound noun, transparently combining two established elements. The first part, 'bus', is a clipped form of 'omnibus', itself a Latin word adopted into English in the 19th century to describe a public transport vehicle. The second part, 'load', originates from Old English 'lād', which broadly meant a course, way, or carrying. The compound 'busload' logically fuses these concepts to denote the specific quantity—the carrying capacity or the full complement of passengers—associated with a single bus, illustrating a straightforward method of word formation in modern English.
Analysis
Structure: bus (vehicle) + load (amount carried)
- bus: Shortened from 'omnibus', a Latin dative plural form meaning "for all", functioning as the vehicle noun.
- load: From Old English 'lād' meaning "way, journey, carrying", functioning as a noun meaning a quantity carried.
Examples
A busload of tourists arrived at the museum.
The school ordered three busloads of students for the field trip.
They delivered a busload of supplies to the disaster relief center.