a. [ OE. busi, bisi, AS. bysig; akin to D. bezig, LG. besig; cf. Skr. bhūsh to be active, busy. ] 1. Engaged in some business; hard at work (either habitually or only for the time being); occupied with serious affairs; not idle nor at leisure; as, a busy merchant. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sir, my mistress sends you word
That she is busy, and she can not come. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Constantly at work; diligent; active. [ 1913 Webster ]

Busy hammers closing rivets up. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Religious motives . . . are so busy in the heart. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Crowded with business or activities; -- said of places and times; as, a busy street. [ 1913 Webster ]

To-morrow is a busy day. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Officious; meddling; foolish active. [ 1913 Webster ]

On meddling monkey, or on busy ape. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Careful; anxious. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Diligent; industrious; assiduous; active; occupied; engaged. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Busied p. pr. & vb. n. Busying. ] [ AS. bysgian. ] To make or keep busy; to employ; to engage or keep engaged; to occupy; as, to busy one's self with books. [ 1913 Webster ]

Be it thy course to busy giddy minds
With foreign quarrels. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. intruding unasked into the affairs of others.
Syn. -- interfering, meddlesome, meddling, officious, busy. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n.; pl. Busybodies One who officiously concerns himself with the affairs of others; a meddling person. [ 1913 Webster ]

And not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. 1 Tim. v. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the state of being or appearing to be actively engaged in an activity; as, they manifested all the busyness of a pack of beavers. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. active work of little value, performed merely to occupy time, avoid boredom, or to look busy; as, while he was waiting he filled the days with busywork.
Syn. -- make-work. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]