buffer

Word family

Related topics: Trains & railways, Computers, Daily life, Technology

buff·er1 /ˈbʌfə $ -ər/ noun [countableC]

1 protection 保护PROTECT someone or something that protects one thing or person from being harmed by another 起缓冲作用的人[物]

buffer against

Eastern Europe was important to Russia as a buffer against the West.

东欧是俄罗斯与西方抗衡的重要缓冲。

buffer between

She often had to act as a buffer between father and son.

她经常要充当父子之间的调解人。

2. railway 铁路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 〔火车或铁轨末端的〕缓冲器，减震器

3. buffer zone PMan area between two armies, that is intended to separate them so that they do not fight 〔军事〕缓冲地带，缓冲区

Examples from the Corpus

buffer zone• Each park will be bordered by a buffer zone where environmentally friendly farming will be encouraged.• Severe obesity represents a buffer zone between you and the world.• Do you really expect us to believe, as you say, that many people feel the buffer zone should be scrapped?• These buffer zones would be similar to the quiet zones around hospitals.

4. buffer state PGa smaller country between two larger countries, that makes war between them less likely 缓冲国

5. computer 计算机COMPUTERTD a place in a computer’s memory for storing information temporarily 缓冲存储器

6 person 人OLD/NOT YOUNG British EnglishBrE old-fashioned an old man who is not good at managing things 老家伙，老糊涂

He’s a nice old buffer.

他是个不错的老家伙。

7. for polishing 用于擦拭DTCLEAN something used to polish a surface 〔用于擦亮表面的〕抛光工具

8. run into/hit the buffers informalFAIL an activity or plan that hits the buffers is stopped and does not succeed 〔活动或计划〕受挫

Examples from the Corpus

buffer• The U.N. forces will act as a buffer between the warring sides.• Farmers want the government to set minimum prices as a buffer against market changes.• I can tell you one thing, I won't be here to be used as a buffer.• Somehow you must organize a buffer between you and any mail delivery system.• The subsystems include texture mapping support, double buffer colour animation and hardware image processing.• All samples were assayed at a 50% dilution in immunoassay buffer and corrected for dilution after subtraction of the assay detection limit.• It depends upon many variables such as net charge, type of buffer, time, applied potential difference, etc.• Take a look at the piping detail above the buffer beam.• There'd been assumptions, hadn't there, made very happily and very easily, and they smashed into the buffers.• Recovery from this sort of error is possible by increasing the size of the buffer.• Without the buffer of the trees, the noise from the highway would be unbearable.

Related topics: Computers

buffer2 verb [transitiveT]

1 REDUCEto reduce the bad effects of something 缓冲，缓和，缓解

Consumer spending is buffering the effects of the recession.

消费支出正在缓解经济衰退造成的影响。

2. if a computer buffers information, it holds it for a short while before using it 〔电脑〕缓存

Examples from the Corpus

buffer• A confidant and social support buffers a woman against the losses of retirement, widowhood, moves, and deaths.• Their savings helped to buffer the effects of the recession.• These are buffered to some extent by coral sand and gravel.• The resulting salt mix has a high alkalinity reserve and is well buffered with extra calcium.• Aside from buffering your water, it offers good external and internal surfaces for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

From Longman Business Dictionary

bufferbuff·er /ˈbʌfə-ər/ noun [countableC]

1COMPUTING a place in a computer’s memory for storing information temporarily

Any data still in the file buffer is written to the file before the file is closed.

2something that protects something from unpleasant effects

Many managers raised cash as a buffer against falling stocks last year, easing their overall losses.

Origin buffer1

1. (1800-1900) buff “to hit or be hit softly” ((16-19 centuries)), probably from the sound.

2. (1700-1800) Origin unknown

3. (1800-1900) → BUFF2

buff·er1 nounbuffer2 verb

Chinese