buffer

1 of 4

noun (1)

buff·​er ˈbə-fər How to pronounce buffer (audio)
plural buffers
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: such as
b
: a person who shields another especially from annoying routine matters
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 section of computer memory for temporarily storing information
especially : one that accepts information at one rate and delivers it at another
The streaming video feed continues to download into the buffer while the computer starts playing the movie.
buffered adjective

buffer

2 of 4

verb

buffered; buffering ˈbə-f(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce buffer (audio) ; buffers

transitive verb

1
: to lessen the shock of : cushion
2
: to treat (something, such as an acid solution) with a buffer
also : to prepare (aspirin) with an antacid
3
: to collect (data) in a buffer

buffer

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural buffers
: someone or something that buffs
especially : a machine that cleans and polishes
a floor buffer

buffer

4 of 4

noun (3)

plural buffers
British slang
: fellow, man
a jolly buffer
especially : an old man
And now that I'm an old crock and he's an old buffer, we have our daily skirmishes—he wants the window closed, I want it open. Fiona Cooper

Examples of buffer in a Sentence

Verb The trees help buffer the house from the hot summer sun. The wall buffers the noise of the traffic.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Being a successful entrepreneur requires more than a big idea Starting and running a business is far easier when you’re propped up by a comfortable buffer of cash and the boom of the early 2020s masked widespread skills gaps amongst founders. Kjartan Rist, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 How much of a buffer should there be from the land of other neighbors who weren’t part of the project? USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024 The change of plan — ordered by the Saudi government — will take out a significant portion of the supply buffer that traders were expecting for later this decade, a gap that may be hard to fill by others. Rakteem Katakey, Fortune Asia, 30 Jan. 2024 In September 2023, for example, a junta ousted President Ali Bongo of Gabon—whose family had ruled the country for 55 years with France’s support, hollowing out democratic institutions such as elections, parliament, the judiciary, and news media that help form a buffer against military coups. Joseph Sany, Foreign Affairs, 30 Jan. 2024 During the Civil War, Cincinnati had a bit of a buffer from the South because Kentucky, a slave-holding border state, did not secede from the Union. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 28 Jan. 2024 That buffer needs to be someone who hasn’t been part of the six-year journey of discovery that Tepper has been on during his ownership tenure. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2024 The jellyfish not only steal the show, but their tank also provides a buffer between the bar and one of the dining rooms. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 All are designed to safely unsettle the vehicle and teach proper car control (the track is typically about 60’ wide, so there is plenty of buffer for mistakes). Michael Harley, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024
Verb
But lessons learned in the 1997-2004 slump helped some weather the storm while others were buffered by investments in luxury malls and non-property assets. Tony Spaeth, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 But the couch, the rug, the dining room table — what used to buffer the noise of the tiled living room — were gone. Charles Jensen, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Producing more things promotes biodiversity and buffers them against big price fluctuations. Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024 Further, the official description describes the vulnerability as a heap buffer overflow in WebP in Google Chrome. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 21 Sep. 2023 Off-chip data is communicated via a PCIe-like streaming interface, and data is buffered on-chip using global PE SRAM. IEEE Spectrum, 1 Nov. 2023 Scientists have determined Cima Dome is a climate refugia — a place that is buffered from climate change — where Joshua trees should be able to thrive. Liz Kreutz, NBC News, 13 Dec. 2023 So writes my colleague Tyrone Beason, in a beautiful story about land in Southern California’s Orange County being returned to two Indigenous tribes, whose goals include restoring local ecosystems and buffering the coastal area against sea level rise. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2023 Shenhua’s vertical integration of power-generation and logistics businesses offers earnings visibility, helping stabilize growth and buffer against volatility, Lau says in a note. WSJ, 4 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buffer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

buff, verb, to react like a soft body when struck

Noun (3)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1854, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1749, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of buffer was in 1749

Dictionary Entries Near buffer

Cite this Entry

“Buffer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buffer. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

buffer

1 of 3 noun
buf·​fer
ˈbəf-ər
1
: a device or material for reducing shock resulting from contact
2
: something that serves as a protective barrier
3
: a substance that in solution can neutralize both acids and bases
4
: a temporary storage unit (as in a computer)
especially : one that accepts information at one rate and delivers it at another

buffer

2 of 3 verb
buffered; buffering
-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to lessen the shock of : cushion
2
: to treat (a solution) with a buffer
also : to prepare (aspirin) with an antacid
3
: to collect (as data) in a buffer

buffer

3 of 3 noun
buff·​er
ˈbəf-ər
: one that buffs

Medical Definition

buffer

1 of 2 noun
buff·​er ˈbəf-ər How to pronounce buffer (audio)
1
: a substance or mixture of substances (as bicarbonates and some proteins in biological fluids) that in solution tends to stabilize the hydrogen-ion concentration by neutralizing within limits both acids and bases
2

buffer

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to treat (as a solution or its acidity) with a buffer
also : to prepare (aspirin) with an antacid

More from Merriam-Webster on buffer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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