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buffer1

Pronunciation: /ˈbʌfə/

Translate buffer | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of buffer

noun

  • 1a person or thing that reduces a shock or that forms a barrier between incompatible or antagonistic people or things:family and friends can provide a buffer against stress
  • (buffers) British a pair of shock-absorbing pistons projecting from a cross-beam at the end of a railway track or on the front and rear of a railway vehicle.
  • 2 (also buffer solution) Chemistry a solution which resists changes in pH when acid or alkali is added to it.
  • 3 Computing a temporary memory area in which data is stored while it is being processed or transferred, especially one used while streaming video or downloading audio: print speed is boosted by pages being formatted in a buffer while another is printing

verb

[with object]
  • 1lessen or moderate the impact of (something):the massage helped to buffer the strain
  • 2treat with a chemical buffer: add organic matter to buffer the resulting alkalinity
  • 3 Computing store (data) in a buffer while it is being processed or transferred:try buffering as much of the video stream as you can before you hit the ‘play’ button

Phrases

hit the buffers

British come to a sudden unsuccessful end:his world championship campaign looked as if it had hit the buffers

Origin:

mid 19th century: probably from obsolete buff (verb), imitative of the sound of a blow to a soft body

buffer in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of buffer in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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