buffer
buffer — noun
1. a person, thing, or arrangement that takes some of the danger, pressure, or trou
a person, thing, or arrangement that takes some of the danger, pressure, or trouble before it reaches someone or something else.
The thick hedge acts as a buffer against wind from the sea.
act as a buffer against + noun
Marta's assistant acted as a buffer, keeping rude callers away from her.
person as buffer from annoyance
A savings account gave the family a buffer during three months without work.
The charity fund is a buffer against sudden rises in heating bills.
文法句型
a buffer against + noun
act as a buffer
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 2: this sense can be a person, a service, or money kept ready, not only a physical strip or space. It often appears with 'against' plus the danger or problem.
常見錯誤
2. a strip, layer, or empty space left around something, or placed between two thin
a strip, layer, or empty space left around something, or placed between two things, so they do not touch or affect each other directly.
Workers left a grass buffer between the river and the new road.
buffer between + two places
Each young tree needs a ring of mulch as a buffer around its trunk.
buffer around + noun
The council kept a buffer zone of shrubs between homes and the highway.
Fire crews cleared a wide buffer between the houses and the flames.
文法句型
a buffer between + two things
a buffer around + noun
用法筆記
Subject is usually a strip of land, a fence, plants, or open space. Distinguish from noun sense 1, where the buffer may be a person or a financial arrangement rather than a physical gap.
常見錯誤
3. a part of computer memory where data waits briefly before the machine uses it or
a part of computer memory where data waits briefly before the machine uses it or sends it on.
The video paused because the buffer was empty for a moment.
the buffer was empty
Large photos sat in the buffer before the printer started.
sit in the buffer
The app clears its buffer when you close the upload window.
A bigger buffer lets the stream play smoothly on slow Wi-Fi.
- cache
another kind of temporary storage, usually for faster access rather than data flow timing
- queue
focuses on the ordered line of data rather than the memory area itself
- temporary memory
plain explanatory phrase rather than a technical term
文法句型
data in the buffer
clear/fill the buffer
用法筆記
Computing only. Unlike noun sense 5, this is not extra physical supply; it is temporary memory used to smooth the flow of data between devices or stages.
常見錯誤
4. a supply of goods or raw materials kept ready so work can continue if fresh supp
a supply of goods or raw materials kept ready so work can continue if fresh supplies are delayed or suddenly run short.
The printer keeps a paper buffer so orders can still go out.
keep a paper buffer
A buffer stock of rice helped the store during last month's delivery strike.
buffer stock collocation
Managers ordered a larger buffer after two flour trucks arrived late.
Without a flour buffer, the bakery closed before lunchtime.
- reserve
general word for something kept ready for later use
- stockpile
usually larger and more deliberate, often for emergencies
- safety stock
technical business term for extra inventory kept to avoid shortages
- shortage
a situation where there is not enough supply
文法句型
keep a buffer of + materials
buffer stock
用法筆記
Common in business, factory, and supply-chain contexts. Often appears in the fixed phrase 'buffer stock', but it can also be a cash buffer or time buffer in planning.
常見錯誤
5. a heavy metal piece on a railway vehicle, or fixed at the track end, that absorb
a heavy metal piece on a railway vehicle, or fixed at the track end, that absorbs force in a crash.
Before dawn, the mechanic checked both buffers on the empty passenger car.
check both buffers on a rail car
At coupling time, the front buffers met before the wagons locked together.
front buffers meet during coupling
The old wagon's buffer cracked when the cars joined too fast.
Children watched the train stop short of the track buffer.
- bumper
broader everyday word for the impact-reducing part on a vehicle; less rail-specific
- stop block
refers specifically to the structure at the end of the track, not the part on the train
文法句型
front/rear buffer
track buffer
用法筆記
Used mainly in British rail contexts. In everyday American English, people are more likely to say 'bumper' for road vehicles; this rail sense is specific to trains and tracks.
6. a substance added to a liquid to stop its level of acid or alkali from changing
a substance added to a liquid to stop its level of acid or alkali from changing too easily.
The teacher added a buffer so the blue liquid stayed at the same pH.
add a buffer to keep pH steady
Without a buffer, the test liquid soon became too acidic to use.
without a buffer
The lab team added buffer drops so the sample did not turn too acidic.
Dr. Okafor explained that blood has natural buffers that keep its pH steady.
- buffer solution
more exact term when the substance is already prepared as a solution
- stabilizer
broader scientific word; not limited to acidity
文法句型
add a buffer to + liquid
buffer solution
用法筆記
Common in chemistry and biology. The object being protected is usually a liquid or body fluid, and the point is to keep the acidity level steady within limits.
7. an old man spoken of in a mocking or mildly rude way.
an old man spoken of in a mocking or mildly rude way.
Listen to that old buffer, still telling school stories after lunch.
old buffer as dismissive label
At the bus stop, Aunt Jo muttered that the old buffer never stopped grumbling.
The boys laughed when the actor played a forgetful old buffer.
Don't call Grandpa a silly buffer in front of the guests.
文法句型
old/silly buffer
用法筆記
British and old-fashioned. Usually said with little respect, often together with adjectives like 'old', 'silly', or 'stupid', so learners should avoid using it about real people.
buffer — verb
1. if a computer buffers data, or if data buffers, it keeps it in temporary memory
if a computer buffers data, or if data buffers, it keeps it in temporary memory while it is being processed, played, or sent.
The phone buffered the song before the train entered the tunnel.
buffer + file/song before playback
During the storm, the live stream buffered whenever the Wi-Fi slowed down.
intransitive computing use
The app buffers each file before it uploads it to the server.
Live comments buffered on screen, then appeared all at once.
文法句型
buffer + data/file/song
data buffers before + verb
用法筆記
Computing only. It can be transitive ('the app buffers the file') or intransitive ('the video is buffering'), and it refers to short-term holding in memory rather than long-term saving.
常見錯誤
2. to reduce the effect of a hit, change, or problem by putting something protectiv
to reduce the effect of a hit, change, or problem by putting something protective in the way.
Tall trees buffer the house from winter winds off the hill.
buffer + object + from + noun
The charity buffers low-income families against sudden rent increases.
buffer + object + against + noun
Omar's deputy buffered the director from angry calls all morning.
Foam panels buffer the studio against noise from the street.
- expose
to leave someone or something open to harm
文法句型
buffer + object + from + noun
buffer + object + against + noun
用法筆記
Usually followed by the person or thing being protected, then 'from' or 'against' plus the force or problem. Distinguish from verb sense 2, which is a computing use about temporary data storage.