buffer

¹buff·er

noun \ˈbə-fər\

Definition of BUFFER

slang British

: fellow, man; especially : an old man

Origin of BUFFER

origin unknown

First Known Use: 1749

Rhymes with BUFFER

bluffer, duffer, puffer, rougher, snuffer, stuffer, suffer

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

Rhymes with BUFFER

bluffer, rougher, snuffer

³buffer

transitive verb

buff·ered buff·er·ing \-f(ə-)riŋ\

Definition of BUFFER

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

Examples of BUFFER

1. The trees help buffer the house from the hot summer sun.
2. The wall buffers the noise of the traffic.

First Known Use of BUFFER

1845

Related to BUFFER

Synonyms

cushion, gentle, soften

Related Words

baffle, dampen, deaden, dull, obtund; moderate, modulate, temper; allay, alleviate, assuage, ease; lighten, mitigate, relieve

Near Antonyms

heighten, intensify, sharpen

Other Biochemistry Terms

bile, biodegradable, capsaicin, keratin, metabolism

⁴buffer

noun

Definition of BUFFER

: one that buffs

First Known Use of BUFFER

1854

buffer

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Solution usually containing a weak acid and its conjugate weak base, or a salt, of such a composition that the pH is held constant within a certain range. An example is a solution containing acetic acid (CHCOOH) and the acetate ion (CHCOO). The pH depends on their relative concentration and can be found with a simple formula involving their ratio. Relatively small additions of acid or base will change the concentration of the two species, but their ratio, and hence the pH, will not change much. Different buffers are useful in different pH ranges; they include phosphoric acid, citric acid, and boric acid, each with their salts. Biological fluids such as blood, tears, and semen have natural buffers to maintain them at the pH required for their proper function. See also law of mass action.