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buffer
1[buhf-er]
noun
an apparatus at the end of a railroad car, railroad track, etc., for absorbing shock during coupling, collisions, etc.
any device, material, or apparatus used as a shield, cushion, or bumper, especially on machinery.
any intermediate or intervening shield or device reducing the danger of interaction between two machines, chemicals, electronic components, etc.
a person or thing that shields and protects against annoyance, harm, hostile forces, etc., or that lessens the impact of a shock or reversal.
any reserve moneys, negotiable securities, legal procedures, etc., that protect a person, organization, or country against financial ruin.
Ecology.an animal population that becomes the prey of a predator that usually feeds on a different species.
Computers.a storage device for temporarily holding data until the computer is ready to receive or process the data, as when a receiving unit has an operating speed lower than that of the unit feeding data to it.
Electronics.a circuit with a single output activated by one or more of several inputs.
Chemistry.
any substance or mixture of compounds that, added to a solution, is capable of neutralizing both acids and bases without appreciably changing the original acidity or alkalinity of the solution.
Also called buffer solution.a solution containing such a substance.
verb (used with object)
Chemistry.to treat with a buffer.
to cushion, shield, or protect.
to lessen the adverse effect of; ease.
The drug buffered his pain.
Digital Technology.to temporarily save (data) before actively accessing it so that it can be loaded at a rapid or uniform rate: You’ll get a load screen while the game buffers those high-resolution graphics.
Give the app time to buffer the audio when you are streaming music.
You’ll get a load screen while the game buffers those high-resolution graphics.
buffer
2[buhf-er]
noun
a device for polishing or buffing, as a buff stick or buff wheel.
a worker who uses such a device.
buffer
3[buhf-er]
noun
a foolish or incompetent person.
a fellow; man.
a chief boatswain's mate in the British navy.
buffer
1/ ˈʌə /
noun
one of a pair of spring-loaded steel pads attached at both ends of railway vehicles and at the end of a railway track to reduce shock due to contact
a person or thing that lessens shock or protects from damaging impact, circumstances, etc
chem
an ionic compound, usually a salt of a weak acid or base, added to a solution to resist changes in its acidity or alkalinity and thus stabilize its pH
Also called: buffer solution.a solution containing such a compound
computing a memory device for temporarily storing data
electronics an isolating circuit used to minimize the reaction between a driving and a driven circuit
short for buffer state
informalto finish or be stopped, esp unexpectedly
verb
to insulate against or protect from shock; cushion
chem to add a buffer to (a solution)
buffer
2/ ˈʌə /
noun
any device used to shine, polish, etc; buff
a person who uses such a device
buffer
3/ ˈʌə /
noun
informala stupid or bumbling man (esp in the phrase old buffer )
buffer
ChemistryA substance that prevents change in the acidity of a solution when an acid or base is added to the solution or when the solution is diluted. Buffers are used to make solutions of known pH, especially for instrument calibration purposes. Natural buffers also exist in living organisms, where biochemical reactions are very sensitive to changes in pH.
Computer ScienceA device or an area of a computer that temporarily stores data that is being transferred between two machines that process data at different rates, such as a computer and a printer.
Other Word Forms
- unbuffered adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of buffer3
Word History and Origins
Origin of buffer1
Origin of buffer2
Example Sentences
But at home there was no such infrastructure - no such buffer.
The oceans are a crucial buffer against the worst impacts of a warming planet, absorbing excess heat and greenhouse gases, said Callum Roberts, Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of Exeter.
After more than £2bn was pledged for public transport infrastructure in West Yorkshire, we look back at the previous plans which hit the buffers.
Meanwhile, the financial buffer that allows Reeves to meet the government's two self-imposed fiscal rules is very slim.
"When you convert lakes - which traditionally act as flood buffers - into built-up areas, the water has nowhere to go. So, what we're seeing in Bengaluru today is the result of poor urban planning."
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