i Register
In some senses, buffer is marked as archaic, slang, dated, colloquial, UK. Watch for register when choosing this word.
buffer
UK /ˈbʌfə(ɹ)/ US /ˈbʌfɚ/
noun 10verb 4name 1
Collocations
6(noun.)
VERB + BUFFER
act as | provide | use sth as
BUFFER + NOUN
state, zone
PREP
~ against
Having good savings acts as a buffer against unexpected financial difficulties.
~ between
The thick forest serves as a buffer between the noisy highway and our quiet neighborhood.
Definitions
noun
1
Someone or something that buffs (polishes and makes shiny).
2
Someone or something that buffs (polishes and makes shiny).
3
A boxer.
Such a buffer as Donnelly, / Ereland never again will see.
noun
1
Anything used to isolate or minimize the effect of one thing on another.
2
Anything used to isolate or minimize the effect of one thing on another.
3
Anything used to isolate or minimize the effect of one thing on another.
1885, W. S. Gilbert, The Mikado, Act II, in The Mikado, and Other Plays, New York: Modern Library, 1917, p. 42, https://archive.org/details/mikadootherplays00gilb The idiot who, in railway carriages, / Scribbles on window panes, / We only suffer / To ride on a buffer / In Parliamentary trains.
The underframe, which has been designed to take buffing loads of 200 tons both on the centre coupler and on the retractable side buffers, consists of two centre girders from which cantilevers project to support the solebars, which in turn carry the bodyside structure.
4
Anything used to isolate or minimize the effect of one thing on another.
Of course, I was not always right. I questioned the value of Crossrail (a scheme revived by Prescott after being scrapped by the Conservatives), suggesting wrongly that it may be "doomed to hit the buffers" […]. A dozen years later, I published my book on it, extolling the line's wonders. We are all allowed to change our minds.
5
Anything used to isolate or minimize the effect of one thing on another.
verb
1
To use a buffer or buffers; to isolate or minimize the effects of one thing on another.
The electronic apparatus is designed to buffer up the sorted wagons in the sidings at a speed not exceeding 4.7 m.p.h.—a particularly important provision in this yard, with its substantial traffic in whisky.
2
To use a buffer or buffers; to isolate or minimize the effects of one thing on another.
Some games let you buffer jumps—if you hold the jump button mid-air, your character will jump as soon as they touch the ground.
3
To store (data) in memory temporarily while it is awaiting processing.
4
To maintain the acidity of a solution near a chosen value by adding an acid or a base.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
noun — an implement consisting of soft material mounted on a block
noun — a cushion-like device that reduces shock due to an impact
noun — a power tool used to buff surfaces
noun — an inclined metal frame at the front of a locomotive to clea
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
Such a buffer as Donnelly, / Ereland never again will see.
Wiktionary02
1885, W. S. Gilbert, The Mikado, Act II, in The Mikado, and Other Plays, New York: Modern Library, 1917, p. 42, https://archive.org/details/mikadootherplays00gilb The idiot who, in railway carriages,
Wiktionary03
The underframe, which has been designed to take buffing loads of 200 tons both on the centre coupler and on the retractable side buffers, consists of two centre girders from which cantilevers project
Wiktionary04
Then, with a shock like a thousand goods trains crashing into a thousand pairs of buffers, the lips of rock closed.
Wiktionary05
The electronic apparatus is designed to buffer up the sorted wagons in the sidings at a speed not exceeding 4.7 m.p.h.—a particularly important provision in this yard, with its substantial traffic in
Wiktionary06
Some games let you buffer jumps—if you hold the jump button mid-air, your character will jump as soon as they touch the ground.
WiktionaryUsage Notes
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