buffer

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