Topic: COLOURS
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Sense: 1
| Date: | 1900-2000 |
| Origin: | buff 'someone very interested in going to watch fires' (1900-2000), from the buff-colored coats worn by volunteer New York City firefighters in the early 19th century. |
| Date: | 1700-1800 |
| Origin: | buff 'yellow leather made from buffalo skin' (16-18 centuries), from Old French buffle 'wild cattle', from Old Italian bufalo; BUFFALO |
| Date: | 1800-1900 |
| Origin: | buff 'bare skin' (17-19 centuries), from 'leather'; BUFF12 |
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buff1
2 [uncountable]CC a pale yellow-brown colour [= beige]: buff envelopes
buff envelopes —buff adjective
