Busen

See also: Appendix:Variations of "busen"

German

Etymology

From Middle High German buosem, from Old High German buosum, from Proto-Germanic *bōsmaz. Cognate with Dutch boezem, English bosom.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbuːzən/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Busen m (strong, genitive Busens, plural Busen)

1. (anatomy) a woman’s breasts collectively

   Synonyms: Brust, Brüste

2. (dated, poetic) bosom, a person’s chest, breast; (especially) the bulge of the garment around it

   Synonym: Brust

   eine Schlange im Busen tragen / nähren ― to carry / nurture a snake in one’s bosom

3. (poetic, figurative) bosom (seat of thoughts and feelings)

   Synonyms: Brust, Herz, Innerstes

   • 1808, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “Zueignung”, in Faust: Der Tragödie erster Teil‎; republished as Bayard Taylor, transl., 1870:

     Mein Busen fühlt sich jugendlich erschüttert / Vom Zauberhauch der euren Zug umwittert

     My bosom thrills, with youthful passion shaken, / From magic airs that round your march awaken

4. (geography, chiefly in Meerbusen) bay, bight, gulf (area of sea)

   Synonyms: (main form) Bucht, (rarer) Golf, Bai

Declension

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Busen	die	Busen
genitive	eines	des	Busens	der	Busen
dative	einem	dem	Busen	den	Busen
accusative	einen	den	Busen	die	Busen

Declension of Busen [masculine, strong]

Derived terms

• Busenfreund
• busig
• Meerbusen

Further reading

• “Busen” in Duden online
• “Busen” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache