A buffer is an object that either softens a blow like a fender, or helps buff or shine stuff, like a nail buffer.
Buffer comes from the Old French buff, a word that imitates the sound of a blow to a soft body. A person can also be a buffer if she keeps people prone to fighting from coming in contact or hurting each other, like a teacher who separates two rowdy kids at the lunch table. A buffer state is a country between two conflicting ones that helps them better get along by creating a buffer between them — like Mongolia is for China and Russia.
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protect from impact
a cushion-like device that reduces shock due to an impact
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an implement consisting of soft material mounted on a block; used for polishing (as in manicuring)
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(chemistry) an ionic compound that resists changes in its pH
add a buffer (a solution)
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(computer science) a part of RAM used for temporary storage of data that is waiting to be sent to a device; used to compensate for differences in the rate of flow of data between components of a computer system
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