busker

noun

busk·​er ˈbə-skər How to pronounce busker (audio)
chiefly British
: a person who entertains in a public place for donations
busk intransitive verb

Examples of busker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the days before the arrival of 20th-century mass media, politicians, barkers and buskers often found eager audiences by simply mounting a soapbox, a flour barrel or even climbing a ladder on a crowded street — at least if the police did not object. Michael Jackman, Detroit Free Press, 9 Mar. 2024 In a tradition that stretches back to the 1960s, the west-facing public plaza attracts buskers and street acrobats keen to entertain the throngs searching for the elusive green flash that occasionally appears just as the sun disappears on the horizon. Elaine Glusac, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 The District faced competition from Virginia only because Leonsis had begun quietly exploring a new home for his teams in 2022, after years of complaining about crime and the noise of buskers outside his arena. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024 In Grill Point, there’s a recurring joke where downtrodden protagonist Uwe (Axel Prahl) keeps stumbling across a group of buskers, who appear to multiply with each encounter. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024 Instead, the band was initially disguised along with Fallon as run-of-the-mill subway buskers rocking out for spare change. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 He was particularly bothered by the buskers playing loud music outside his office. Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2023 He was particularly bothered by buskers, who played loud music outside his office. Sam Fortier, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023 Molina vowed Thursday to work with buskers while refining the new framework into an ordinance. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'busker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

busk, probably from Italian buscare to procure, gain, from Spanish buscar to look for

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of busker was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near busker

Cite this Entry

“Busker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/busker. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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