Definition

1. Noun:
   • A restaurant attendant who sets tables, assists waiters, and clears away dirty dishes: A busboy is a worker in a restaurant whose duties include preparing tables for new customers, helping the waitstaff, and removing used dishes and utensils from tables after customers have finished eating.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The busboy quickly cleared the empty plates from our table.
  • He started his first job as a busboy at a local diner.
  • A good busboy is essential for keeping the dining room running smoothly.

Advanced Usage

• The term is sometimes considered informal or dated. More modern or formal equivalents include busser or dining room attendant.
  • The restaurant is hiring bussers for the evening shift.

Variants and Related Words

• Busser (noun): A modern variant of "busboy," used for any gender. It refers to the same role.
  • She works as a busser on weekends.
• Busgirl (noun): A less common, gendered term for a female performing the same duties.
  • (Note: "Busser" is now generally preferred as a gender-neutral term.)

Synonyms

• Busser: A direct synonym.
• Dining room attendant: A more formal term for the same position.
• Back waiter: In some upscale restaurants, this term may be used for a similar supporting role.

Notes on Meaning

• The role is specifically associated with the restaurant and food service industry. The primary functions are clearing tables and supporting servers, not taking food orders or interacting directly with customers as a primary duty.
• The word originates from the "bus" in "omnibus," meaning "for all," referring to a trolley or cart used to carry many dishes at once.

Noun

1. a restaurant attendant who sets tables and assists waiters and clears away dirty dishes