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buff - What does it mean?

Definition of 'buff'

English

Etymology 1

From .

Noun

(en-noun)
  • Undyed leather from the skin of buffalo or similar animals.
  • * Shakespeare
    • a suit of buff
  • A tool, often one covered with buff leather, used for polishing.
  • A brownish yellow colour.
  • * Dryden
    • a visage rough, deformed, unfeatured, and a skin of buff
  • A military coat made of buff leather.
    • (Shakespeare)
  • (informal) A person who is very interested in a particular subject; an enthusiast.
    • He’s a history buff .
  • (gaming) An effect that temporally makes a gaming character stronger.
  • (rail transport) Compressive coupler force that occurs during a slack bunched condition.
  • The bare skin.
    • to strip to the buff
  • * Wright
    • To be in buff is equivalent to being naked.
  • The greyish viscid substance constituting the buffy coat.
  • A substance used to dilute (street) drugs in order to increase profits.
  • * Police said the 20 ton hydraulic jack was used to press mixtures of cocaine and "buff" into bricks. (CBC)
    • Derived terms
    * in the buff
    Antonyms
    * (video games) debuff * (video games) nerf

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Of the color of buff leather, a brownish yellow.
  • (bodybuilding): Unusually muscular. (also buffed'' or ''buffed out )
    • The bouncer was a big, buff dude with tattoos, a shaved head, and a serious scowl.
  • * 1994 , Blurred Boundaries: Questions of Meaning in Contemporary Culture , page 155:
    • The appearance of logic often derives from faulty syllogisms such as Sgt. Koon's conclusion that King was an ex-con because he was "buffed out " (heavily muscled). The thinking is: "ex-cons are often buffed out; this man is buffed out; therefore, this man is an ex-con."
  • (slang) attractive.
    • Derived terms
    * buff-tip moth * buffly

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To polish and make shiny by rubbing.
  • (gaming) To make a character stronger.
    • The enchanter buffed the paladin to prepare him to fight the dragon.
    Derived terms
    * buff out * buff up * buff wheel

    Synonyms

    * (to make smooth and shiny by rubbing) wax, shine, polish, furbish, burnish
    Antonyms
    * (video games) debuff * (video games) nerf

    See also

    *

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To strike.
    • (Ben Jonson)

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (obsolete) A buffet; a blow.
  • * Spenser
    • Nathless so sore a buff to him it lent / That made him reel.
    Derived terms
    * blind man's buff

    Similar to 'buff'

    beef, biff, baff, boff, boof, bbiaf, boyf, bauf