short bus
3
8.1
- noun
- /ʃɔrt bʌs/
- US
:
autobús escolar pequeño
- The students with special needs took the short bus to their therapy appointments.
- a short bus ride
- take the short bus
Examples
-
It took about an hour to get to school each morning on our "short bus" due to the route it took to pick up unfortunates like me who lived out of the way, ugh.
Blog text (19) -
This morning, I actually put my six-year-old son, Jude, on the short bus.
Blog text (34) -
In a few hours, the short bus will pull back in front of our house, and Jude will be home from school.
Blog text (34) -
Every morning, children with disabilities arrive at school on the short bus.
-
During field trips, the short bus is used to transport students who need extra assistance.
Synonyms
73
1.0
A large bus that carries children to and from school
4
2.7
A small bus that carries about four to ten people
1
4.1
A small bus that carries a few people for short trips
How Small
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal sense 'a small bus' is directly and transparently derived from 'short' (small in length) + 'bus' (vehicle), so a learner who knows both words will infer a small vehicle. However, the specific sociocultural association of 'short bus' with transporting students with special needs (and its potential pejorative connotations) is a pragmatic/cultural meaning that is not predictable from the constituents alone.
Etymology
The noun short bus comes from a smaller school bus that is literally 'short' and made to carry only a few students, often those with special needs. That's why short bus means 'a small school bus used to transport students with special needs'.