[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

buffer \buff"er\ bu^f"~er, v. t. chem.
   to add a buffer5 to a solution, so as to reduce unwanted
   fluctuation of acidity.
   pjc

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

buffer \buff"er\ bu^f"~er, n. prop a striker. see
   buffet a blow.
   1. mech.
      a an elastic apparatus or fender, for deadening the jar
          caused by the collision of bodies; as, a buffer at the
          end of a railroad car.
      b a pad or cushion forming the end of a fender, which
          receives the blow; -- sometimes called buffing
          apparatus.
          1913 webster

   2. one who polishes with a buff.
      1913 webster

   3. a wheel for buffing; a buff.
      1913 webster

   4. a good-humored, slow-witted fellow; -- usually said of an
      elderly man. colloq. --dickens.
      1913 webster

   5. chem. a substance or mixture of substances which can
      absorb or neutralize a certain quantity of acid or base
      and thus keep the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a
      solution as measured by ph relatively stable. sometimes
      the term is used in a medical context to mean antacid.
      pjc

   6. computers a data storage device or portion of memory
      used to temporarily store input or output data until the
      receiving device is ready to process it.
      pjc

   7. any object or person that shields another object or person
      from harm, shock, or annoyance; as, the president's staff
      is his buffer from constant interruptions of his work.
      pjc
see also:
buffet buffing apparatus antacid 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

buffer
     n 1: an ionic compound that resists changes in its ph
     2: an inclined metal frame at the front of a locomotive to
        clear the track syn: fender, cowcatcher, pilot
     3: 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 syn: buffer
        storage, buffer store
     4: a power tool used to buff surfaces syn: polisher
     5: a cushion-like device that reduces shock due to contact
        syn: fender
     6: an implement consisting of soft material mounted on a block;
        used for polishing as in manicuring syn: buff
     v 1: add a buffer a solution; "buffered saline solution for the
          eyes"
     2: protect from impact; "cushion the blow" syn: cushion, soften
see also:
fender cowcatcher pilot buffer storage buffer store polisher 
buff cushion soften 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

247 moby thesaurus words for "buffer":
   t square, aegis, annul, antacid, antidote, arch dam, arm guard,
   awl, backstop, bale breaker, bamboo curtain, bank, bar, barrage,
   barrier, battering ram, bear-trap dam, beaver dam, bevel,
   bevel square, bodkin, boom, bradawl, brattice, breakwater,
   breastwork, brick wall, bring to nothing, buff, buffer state,
   bulkhead, bulwark, bumper, calender, calipers, cancel, cancel out,
   cant hook, caulking iron, center punch, chamois, cloison,
   cofferdam, collision mat, come to nothing, contraceptive,
   copyright, counteractant, counteractive, counteragent,
   counterbalance, counterirritant, crash helmet, crowbar, cushion,
   dam, dashboard, defense, diaphragm, dibble, dike, dissepiment,
   ditch, dividers, dividing line, dividing wall, division, dodger,
   drag, earthwork, edger, electric sander, electric soldering iron,
   embankment, face mask, fence, fender, file, finger guard, flail,
   foot guard, forceps, fork, frustrate, fuse, gate, glazer, goggles,
   goose, governor, grader, grapnel, grappling iron, gravity dam,
   grease gun, grindstone, groin, guard, guardrail, hand guard,
   handrail, hard hat, harrow, hawk, helmet, hook, hydraulic-fill dam,
   insulation, interlock, interseptum, invalidate, iron, iron curtain,
   jack, jackscrew, jam, jetty, jointer, knee guard, knuckle guard,
   laminated glass, lathe, leaping weir, levee, level, life preserver,
   lifeline, lightning conductor, lightning rod, logjam, mangle, mask,
   mat, midriff, midsection, milldam, miter box, moat, mole, mound,
   mudguard, nail file, nail puller, negate, negativate, negative,
   neutralize, neutralizer, nose guard, nullifier, nullify, offset,
   pad, padding, palette knife, palladium, panel, parapet, paries,
   partition, party wall, patent, peavey, pilot, pincers, pinch bar,
   pitchfork, plane, planer, pliers, polisher, portcullis, press,
   preventative, preventive, property line, prophylactic,
   protective clothing, protective umbrella, puller, punch,
   punch pliers, puncheon, putty knife, ram, rammer, rampart, ramrod,
   remedy, ripping bar, roadblock, rock-fill dam, roller, rolling pin,
   safeguard, safety, safety glass, safety plug, safety rail,
   safety shoes, safety switch, safety valve, sander, screen,
   screwdriver, seat belt, seawall, separation, septulum, septum,
   shaper, shield, shin guard, shock pad, shutter dam, soldering iron,
   spatula, square, stapler, steamroller, stone wall, stultify,
   sun helmet, tackle, tamp, tamper, tamping pick, tap, thwart,
   tire iron, tire tool, tongs, trowel, tweezers, umbrella, undo,
   vise, vitiate, void, wall, weir, wicket dam, windscreen,
   windshield, work, wrecking bar, wringer

[5] : The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)

buffer
     
        1. an area of memory used for storing messages.  typically, a
        buffer will have other attributes such as an input pointer
        where new data will be written into the buffer, and output
        pointer where the next item will be read from and/or a count
        of the space used or free.  buffers are used to decouple
        processes so that the reader and writer may operate at
        different speeds or on different sized blocks of data.
     
        there are many different algorithms for using buffers, e.g.
        first-in first-out fifo or shelf, last-in first-out lifo or
        stack, double buffering allowing one buffer to be read while
        the other is being written, cyclic buffer reading or writing
        past the end wraps around to the beginning.
     
        2. an electronic device to provide compatibility between two
        signals, e.g. changing voltage levels or current capability.
     
     

Buffer >> B Words
Buffer, definition of term: Buffer
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