~ 1
■ noun
1》 ( ~s ) Brit. a pair of shock-absorbing pistons projecting from a cross-beam at the end of a railway track or on a railway vehicle.
2》 a person or thing that reduces a shock or forms a barrier between adversaries.
3》 (also ~ solution ) Chemistry a solution which resists changes in pH when acid or alkali is added to it.
4》 Computing a temporary memory area or queue used when creating or editing text, or when transferring data.
■ verb
1》 lessen or moderate the impact of.
2》 treat with a chemical ~.
Origin
C19: prob. from obs. buff (v.), imitative of the sound of a blow to a soft body.
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~ 2
■ noun Brit. informal a foolishly old-fashioned or incompetent elderly man.
Origin
C18: prob. from obs. buff (see ~ 1 ), or from dialect buff 'stutter, splutter'.