Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: TRAINS, RAILWAYS

Sense: 1-5, 8
Date: 1800-1900
Origin: buff 'to hit or be hit softly' (16-19 centuries), probably from the sound.
Sense: 6
Date: 1700-1800
Origin: Origin unknown
Sense: 7
Date: 1800-1900
Origin: BUFF2

buffer

1 noun
     
buff‧er1 [countable]
1

protection

someone or something that protects one thing or person from being harmed by another
buffer against
Eastern Europe was important to Russia as a buffer against the West.
buffer between
She often had to act as a buffer between father and son.
2

railway

TTT one of the two special metal springs on the front or back of a train or at the end of a railway track to take the shock if the train hits something
3

buffer zone

PM an area between two armies, which is intended to separate them so that they do not fight
4

buffer state

PG a smaller country between two larger countries, which makes war between them less likely
5TD

computer

TD a place in a computer's memory for storing information temporarily
6

person

British English old-fashioned an old man who is not good at managing things:
He's a nice old buffer.
7

for polishing

DT something used to polish a surface
8

run into/hit the buffers

informal an activity or plan that hits the buffers is stopped and does not succeed
Definition of buffer from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic TRAINS, RAILWAYS
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