Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BUSS, n. [Per. بُوسِيدَن bosidan; Ar. بَاسَ bausa, to kiss; L. basio; Fr. baiser; Norm. beser; Sp. besar; Port. beijar; It. baciare; D. poezen, to kiss. The verb may be from the noun, and perhaps from the name of the lip; at any rate, from the same radical sense, to push; Per. puz, the lip; W. and Ir. bus, the lip; D. poes, a kiss, a puss, a fur-tippet, a girl; Sp. beso, a kiss; Port. beiço, the lip; beijo, a kiss; It. bacio. This word, so venerable for its antiquity and general use, has fallen into disrepute.]

1. A kiss; a salute with the lips.
2. [D. buis; G. büse; Russ. busa.] A small vessel, from 50 to 70 tuns burden, carrying two masts, and two sheds or cabins, one at each end; used in the herring fishery. – Encyc. Mar. Dict.