the.com/minibus
A vehicle that admits it's not quite a bus and not quite an apology.
means A small bus, usually seating somewhere between a large van and a proper coach-load of passengers.
from A straightforward 20th-century compound: 'mini-' (from Latin 'minimus,' smallest), riding the wave of 'miniskirt' and 'Mini Cooper' popularity in making small things sound chic, bolted onto 'bus' itself a shortening of 'omnibus,' Latin for 'for all.' So the word is really 'small (vehicle) for all' — a tidy little telescoping of its own grander ancestor.
- capacity
- usually 8 to 16 seats
- origin
- name predates actual minibuses by decades
- airport use
- shuttles exist solely to test patience
- school version
- terrifies parents, delights kids