Library / English Dictionary

BUFFER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An implement consisting of soft material mounted on a block; used for polishing (as in manicuring)

Synonyms:

buff; buffer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("buffer" is a kind of...):

implement (instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end)

Derivation:

buff (polish and make shiny)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A cushion-like device that reduces shock due to an impact

Synonyms:

buffer; fender

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("buffer" is a kind of...):

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

Holonyms ("buffer" is a part of...):

auto; automobile; car; machine; motorcar (a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine)

Derivation:

buffer (protect from impact)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A power tool used to buff surfaces

Synonyms:

buffer; polisher

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("buffer" is a kind of...):

power tool (a tool driven by a motor)

Meronyms (parts of "buffer"):

buffing wheel (a wheel that is covered with soft material)

Derivation:

buff (polish and make shiny)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(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

Synonyms:

buffer; buffer storage; buffer store

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("buffer" is a kind of...):

memory device; storage device (a device that preserves information for retrieval)

Domain category:

computer science; computing (the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "buffer"):

cache; memory cache ((computer science) RAM memory that is set aside as a specialized buffer storage that is continually updated; used to optimize data transfers between system elements with different characteristics)

frame buffer ((computer science) a buffer that stores the contents of an image pixel by pixel)

keyboard buffer (a buffer that keeps track of key strokes until the computer is ready to respond to them)

print buffer (a buffer that stores data until the printer is ready)

Holonyms ("buffer" is a part of...):

RAM; random-access memory; random access memory; random memory; read/write memory (the most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on; an integrated circuit memory chip allows information to be stored or accessed in any order and all storage locations are equally accessible)

Sense 5

Meaning:

An inclined metal frame at the front of a locomotive to clear the track

Synonyms:

buffer; cowcatcher; fender; pilot

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("buffer" is a kind of...):

frame; framework (a structure supporting or containing something)

Holonyms ("buffer" is a part of...):

engine; locomotive; locomotive engine; railway locomotive (a wheeled vehicle consisting of a self-propelled engine that is used to draw trains along railway tracks)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A neutral zone between two rival powers that is created in order to diminish the danger of conflict

Synonyms:

buffer; buffer zone

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Hypernyms ("buffer" is a kind of...):

zone (an area or region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic)

Sense 7

Meaning:

(chemistry) an ionic compound that resists changes in its pH

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("buffer" is a kind of...):

chemical compound; compound ((chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight)

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Holonyms ("buffer" is a substance of...):

buffer solution (a solution containing a buffer)

Derivation:

buffer (add a buffer (a solution))

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Add a buffer (a solution)

Example:

buffered saline solution for the eyes

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "buffer" is one way to...):

modify (make less severe or harsh or extreme)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

buffer ((chemistry) an ionic compound that resists changes in its pH)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Protect from impact

Example:

cushion the blow

Synonyms:

buffer; cushion; soften

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "buffer" is one way to...):

modify (make less severe or harsh or extreme)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

buffer (a cushion-like device that reduces shock due to an impact)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Hydrogen ion in the lumen is trapped by urinary buffers.

(Collecting Duct Acid Secretion Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

There are many buffers to the calcium fluctuations including membrane pumps and calcium-binding proteins that create discrete spatial control of its effectors and their targets.

(Calmodulin Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

That is because more water vapor would be able to persist in the atmosphere of the hypothetical planet and act as a buffer to keep surface conditions comfortable.

(Earth-Sized 'Tatooine' Planets Could Be Habitable, NASA)

Participants assigned to a “large-changes” group focused on losing 5-10 pounds during the initial 4 months to create a buffer against expected weight gain over time.

(Strategies successfully reduce weight gain in young adults, NIH)

The ability of antibacterial clays to buffer pH also appears key to their healing potential and viability as alternatives to conventional antibiotics.

(New answer to MRSA, other 'superbug' infections: clay minerals?, NSF)

Increased knowledge of the long-term effects of volcanoes on carbon dioxide and how they may be buffered by biological processes is important for evaluating natural and human impacts on climate.

(Major deep carbon sink linked to microbes at volcanic island chains, National Science Foundation)

Pharmaceuticals that have the capacity to buffer blood or urine solutes are often classified as alkaline agents.

(Alkalinization, NCI Thesaurus)

An electrophoresis gel composed of agarose dissolved in an aqueous buffer.

(Agarose Gel, NCI Thesaurus)

The TiS2 coating acts as a buffer layer.

(Creating Better Lithium-Ion Batteries Made Possible with New Discovery, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

RAM memory that is set aside as a specialized buffer storage that is continually updated; used to optimize data transfers between system elements with different characteristics.

(Cache, NCI Thesaurus)