Busk
/bʌsk/noun
To prepare or dress oneself, especially for public performance; also, to entertain as a street performer.
Did you know?The theatrical sense of busk is linked to the old idea of preparing oneself for display, while the street-performance meaning later took on the gritty, public energy of making magic out of attention.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
busk
“to dress or prepare oneself, especially for appearance or performance”
Middle English
English
busken
“to prepare, make ready, or dress oneself”
Old Norse
ON
búask
“to prepare oneself, get ready”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*bū-
“to dwell, stay, or prepare (basis of the reflexive verb formation)”
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