First Known Use: 1749
Dictionary
1buffer
noun buff·er \ˈbə-fər\
Definition of BUFFER
slang BritishADVERTISEMENT
Origin of BUFFER
origin unknown
2buffer
noun, often attributive
Definition of BUFFER
1
: any of various devices or pieces of material for reducing shock or damage due to contact
2
: a means or device used as a cushion against the shock of fluctuations in business or financial activity
3
: something that serves as a protective barrier: as a : buffer state b : a person who shields another especially from annoying routine matters c : mediator 1
4
: a substance capable in solution of neutralizing both acids and bases and thereby maintaining the original acidity or basicity of the solution; also : a solution containing such a substance
5
: a temporary storage unit (as in a computer); especially : one that accepts information at one rate and delivers it at another
— buff·ered \-fərd\ adjective
Origin of BUFFER
buff, verb, to react like a soft body when struck
First Known Use: 1835
3buffer
verb
: to protect (something) from something
: to lessen the harmful effects of (something)
computers : to put (something, such as data) in a buffer
buff·eredbuff·er·ing \-f(ə-)riŋ\
Full Definition of BUFFER
transitive verb
1
: to lessen the shock of : cushion
2
: to treat (as a solution or its acidity) with a buffer; also : to prepare (aspirin) with an antacid
3
: to collect (as data) in a buffer
See buffer defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of BUFFER
1845
Other Biochemistry Terms
4buffer
noun
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