buff

¹

[buhf]

noun

1. a soft, thick, light-yellow leather with a napped surface, originally made from buffalo skin but later also from other skins, used for making belts, pouches, etc.

2. a brownish-yellow color; tan.

3. a buff stick or buff wheel.

4. a devotee or well-informed student of some activity or subject.

   Civil War buffs avidly read the new biography of Grant.

5. Informal.,  the bare skin, or the state of being nude.

   swimming in the buff;

   stripped to his buff.

6. Also called buffcoat. a thick, short coat of buffalo leather, worn especially by English soldiers and American colonists in the 17th century.

7. Informal.,  a buffalo.

adjective

1. having the color of buff.

2. made of buff leather.

3. Slang.,  physically attractive; muscular.

   Synonyms: burnish

verb (used with object)

1. to clean or polish (metal) or give a grainless finish of high luster to (plated surfaces) with or as if with a buff stick or buff wheel.

2. to polish or shine, especially with a buffer.

   to buff shoes.

3. to dye or stain in a buff color.

buff

²

[buhf]

verb (used with object)

1. (in a video game) to enhance (player characters' attributes or abilities) with a spell, skill, or item.

   If you buff your party with a skill that increases movement speed, make sure everyone is in the area of effect—you wouldn’t want to leave your healer in the dust!

2. to reduce or deaden the force of; act as a buffer.

noun

1. (in a video game) a category of spell, skill, or item that enhances player characters' attributes or abilities.

   Your build is specific to your job class, so a DPS Shaman and a DPS Druid might bring different buffs.

2. Chiefly British Dialect.,  a blow; slap.

buff

¹

/ bʌf /

noun

1. 1. a soft thick flexible undyed leather made chiefly from the skins of buffalo, oxen, and elk

   2. ( as modifier )

      a buff coat

2. 1. a dull yellow or yellowish-brown colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      buff paint

3. Also called: buffer. 

   1. a cloth or pad of material used for polishing an object

   2. a flexible disc or wheel impregnated with a fine abrasive for polishing metals, etc, with a power tool

4. informal,  one's bare skin (esp in the phrase in the buff )

verb

1. to clean or polish (a metal, floor, shoes, etc) with a buff

2. to remove the grain surface of (a leather)

buff

²

/ bʌf /

verb

1. (tr) to deaden the force of

noun

1. archaic,  a blow or buffet (now only in the phrase blind man's buff )

buff

³

/ bʌf /

noun

1. informal,  an expert on or devotee of a given subject

   a cheese buff

Other Word Forms

• buffability noun
• buffable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of buff¹

First recorded in 1545–55; 1900–05 buff ¹ for def. 4; earlier buffe “wild ox,” back formation from buffle, from Middle French, from Late Latin būfalus; buffalo; buff ¹ ( def. 4 ) originally a person enthusiastic about firefighting and firefighters, allegedly after the buff-colored uniforms once worn by volunteer firefighters in New York City

Origin of buff²

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English buffe “blow; clash.” back formation from buffet ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of buff¹

C16: from Old French buffle , from Old Italian bufalo , from Late Latin būfalus _buffalo

Origin of buff²

C15: back formation from _buffet ²

Origin of buff³

C20: originally US: an enthusiastic fire watcher, from the buff-coloured uniforms worn by volunteer firemen in New York City

Idioms and Phrases

see in the buff.

Example Sentences

Naming the ship Maginot, after a famously failed French defense in World War I, is clearly a little joke for history buffs, and also apt.

From Los Angeles Times

“One of the proudest things I have in my heart is the fact that Black Sabbath wasn’t a band that was created by some big buff mogul guy,” Osbourne told the BBC in 2017.

From Salon

For horror movie buffs, the filmmakers and stars of the supernatural will take the stage to tease the upcoming sequel.

From Los Angeles Times

Visiting Hadrian's Wall is next on the agenda for history buff Paul; and he's looking forward to one of his daughters graduating later this year.

From BBC

Hopkins kept busy part of the time with his job cleaning Alcatraz, sweeping the floors and buffing them "until they shined", he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• admirer 
• aficionado 
• devotee 
• expert 
• fan 
• fiend 
• freak 
• lover 

When To Use

What else does buff mean?

Buff originally refers to light-yellow leather made from buffalo skins. It has taken on many slang terms, though, including:

• being naked



• shining up something



• being muscular and fit



• being particularly knowledgeable about something



• and, in gaming lingo, strengthening a player's stats.