omnibus
Noun pluralomnibuses, omnibusses
Pluralomnibuses, omnibusses
Formsomnibuses, omnibusing, omnibused
- 1Including many separate items or topics together in one single thing.
Lawmakers passed one omnibus bill instead of ten small ones.
The newspaper printed an omnibus review of five new mystery books.
UsageUsed before a noun: an omnibus bill.
Similarcomprehensive, composite
Note
- 2A book or broadcast bringing together works or episodes that came out separately before.
My uncle gave me an omnibus of three detective novels for my birthday.
The library has a big omnibus of animal stories by many different writers.
UsageThe plural is omnibuses. Often used with of: an omnibus of short stories.
Similaranthology, collection, compilation
- 3A bus, a big vehicle that carries many people along roads.
We rode the omnibus into town and got off near the market.
Baldrick, I want you to take this [money] and go out, and buy a turkey so large you'd think its mother had been rogered by an omnibus.
1988, Richard Curtis, Ben EltonHere, omnibus means a bus.UsageToday people say bus.
Similarbus
Note
Less common meanings
- 4To join several bills for new laws, or similar things, into one package.
Leaders want to omnibus the five spending bills and vote on them once.
The city council omnibused all the small rule changes into one plan.
UsagePast form: omnibused or omnibussed.
Similarcombine, bundle, package, consolidate, merge
Note
- 5
- 6To be the driver of a big bus that carries people.
I'm two shillings short of usual rainy-day fares, and not a passenger is out, I'm certain—least ways can I see him, if there was. It's nice business, omnibusing is—in summer time!
1857, A[braham] Oakey Hall, “Trot the Seventh.—A New York Omnibus has a Singular Fare on a Stormy Night, and what Came of It”Here, omnibusing means driving a bus.Note
- 7
- 8Describes a train or other service that stops at every station, not only the main ones.
- 9A set of stamps, usually celebrating a special event, that several countries put out at the same time.
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Origin
From French omnibus, meaning a carriage "for all." The French word comes from Latin omnibus, "for all."
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- English omnibus comes from French omnibus, referring to a carriage for all. en.wiktionary.org
- French omnibus comes from Latin omnibus, meaning for all. en.wiktionary.org