bustee

or bus·ti

[ buhs-tee ]

noun

, India.

1. a small settlement; village.
2. a slum.

bustee

/ ˈbʌstiː /

noun

1. variant spellings of basti

Word History and Origins

Origin of bustee¹

1880–85; < Hindi bastī, akin to basnā to dwell

Example Sentences

Before leaving Calcutta, we visited one of Mother Teresa’s rescue facilities near the heart of a “bustee,” or slum dwelling.

From Washington Post

At the end of March, two people died of cholera in the Kattal Bagan bustee, signalling a new outbreak.

From BBC

Haffkine travelled to the bustee and inoculated 116 of the 200 or so inhabitants.

From BBC

They argue that the bill favors the bustee landlords, who are to be compensated for their slum holdings, and that the money would be better spent on improving areas where there is no running water and where eight toilet seats serve 400 people.

From Time Magazine Archive

Bamun Bustee is the quietest of all, and Lal Bazar and Bow Bazar, as you can see for yourself, are the rowdiest.

From Project Gutenberg