Definition & Meaning of "buffering"in English

What is "buffering"?

Buffering is the process of temporarily storing data, such as video or audio, in a device's memory to ensure smooth playback without interruptions. When streaming content over the Internet, if the data is being received too slowly, the device will pause to load more of the content, which is known as buffering. This may result in a delay before the media starts playing or cause the playback to pause from time to time. Buffering is common when the Internet connection is slow or unstable.