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buffer Hear it!

buffer1 definition

buffer (bufər)

noun

  1. a person who buffs or polishes
  2. a buffing wheel, stick, block, or cloth

Etymology: buff, + -er

buffer2 definition

buffer (bufər)

noun

  1. a device using padding, springs, hydraulic pressure, etc. to lessen or absorb the shock of collision or impact
  2. any person or thing that serves to lessen shock or prevent sharp impact, as between antagonistic forces
  3. any substance in a solution that tends to stabilize the hydrogen ion concentration by neutralizing any added acid or alkali
  4. a computer storage area that temporarily holds data being transferred from one device to another, as to compensate for the different processing rates of the devices

Etymology: buff, v. + -er

transitive verb

  1. to protect against shock or impact; cushion or insulate
  2. Chem. to add a buffer to (a solution)
buffer3 definition

buffer (bufər)

noun

Brit., Informal an elderly man variously regarded as old fashioned, stodgy, ineffectual, etc.: usually used with old

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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