Definition & Meaning of "buffer"in English

to buffer

VERB

to reduce or soften the impact or effects of a situation or force

Transitive: to buffer an effect

Examples

Planting trees can buffer the effects of strong winds in an open area.

to treat with a chemical substance that helps maintain a stable pH level

Transitive: to buffer a solution or mixture

Grammatical Information

Composition

derived

Action verb

Regular

Present tense

buffer

3rd person singular

buffers

Present participle

buffering

Past simple

buffered

Past participle

buffered

Examples

The scientist buffered the solution with a phosphate buffer to maintain its pH during the experiment.

Buffer

NOUN

a solution containing a weak acid and its conjugate base, or a weak base and its conjugate acid, which maintains a stable pH when small amounts of acid or base are added

Grammatical Information

Animacy status

Inanimate

Composition

Simple

Countable

Plural form

buffers

Examples

The buffer solution in the lab kept the pH steady even after the addition of a strong acid.

a device that absorbs shock to reduce the impact of a collision or hit

Examples

The car 's front bumper acted as a buffer during the minor collision, preventing serious damage.

a power tool used to buff surfaces

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

(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

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

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

something that acts like a shield or barrier to protect from harm, damage, or stress

Examples

Trees act as a buffer between the road and the houses.

Lexical Tree