buffer Definition

buff²
noun

1. A dull-yellowish colour.
2. A soft undyed leather.
3a. A cloth or pad of buff (noun 2) or other material, used for polishing;

Form: buffer (sometimes)
3b. A revolving disk used for polishing metals, made of layers of cloth loaded with abrasive powder.

Form: buffer (sometimes)

adj

1. Dull yellow in colour.

Example: a buff envelope
Thesaurus: tan, fawn, khaki, sandy, straw, tan, fulvous.
2. Made of buff (noun 2).

Example: a military buff coat

verb buffed, buffing

1. To polish it with a buff or a piece of soft material.

Thesaurus: polish, shine, burnish, rub, smooth, brush.
Form: buff something up (also)
2. To make (leather) soft like buff.

Derivative: buffer
noun

A person or thing that buffs or polishes.

Idiom: in the buff

(rit)
colloq
Naked.
Thesaurus: nude, naked, bare; Antonym: clothed.

Etymology: 16c, meaning ‘a buffalo'; later meaning ‘buffalo-hide' (or military wear made of this): from French buffle buffalo.

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buffer¹
noun

1. An apparatus designed to take the shock when an object such as a railway carriage or a ship hits something, especially a device using springs, on a railway carriage, etc, or a cushion of rope on a ship.

Thesaurus: cushion, shield, safeguard, pad, screen, bulwark, fender, shock-absorber.
2. A person or thing which protects from harm or shock, etc, or makes its impact less damaging or severe.
3. computing.
A temporary storage area for data that is being transmitted from the central processing unit to an output device such as a printer.
4. chem.
A chemical solution that maintains its pH at a constant level when an acid or alkali is added to it or when the solution is diluted. It is used to prepare solutions of a specific pH, eg for dyeing, food technology, medical treatment and brewing.

verb buffered, buffering

1. chem.
To add a buffer to something.
2. To protect someone or something from shock.

Derivative: buffered

Equipped with a buffer or buffers.

Protected or cushioned.

With a buffer added.

Etymology: 19c: from obsolete verb buff to strike or make a dull-sounding impact.

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buffer²
noun

(Brit)
1. colloq
A rather foolish or dull person, especially a man.

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buffer³ buff²