Buffer

Buffer may refer to:

Buffer state, a country lying between two potentially hostile greater powers, thought to prevent conflict between them
Buffer zone, any area that keeps two or more other areas distant from one another, may be demilitarized
Buffer (rail transport), a device that cushions the impact of vehicles against each other
Buffer stop (bumper in U.S.), a device to prevent railway vehicles from going past the end of a section of track
Recoil buffer, an accessory for firearms, to cushion the impact of recoil
Buffer (navy), the colloquial term for the senior seaman sailor in a (British Commonwealth) Navy ship
Buffer wheel, a wheel attached to a motor similar to a pedestal grinder used to smooth and polish metals and other materials
Film loop, isolates intermittent motion in a movie projector
A related process for computers & TV receivers in which a film or video "freezes" while the material is loading up again. "Buffer" is often used as a verb here.

People:

In physical science:

Buffer solution, a solution which reduces the change of pH upon addition of small amounts of acid or base, or upon dilution
Buffering agent, the weak acid or weak base in a buffer solution
Buffer gas, an inert or nonflammable gas
Buffer (GIS), a zone around a map feature
Lysis buffer, in biochemistry, a destructor of cell membranes that enables analysis of the compounds within
Mineral redox buffer, a mineral assemblage which stabilises oxidation state in natural rock systems

In electronics and computer science:

Data buffer, memory used temporarily to store output or input data
- Framebuffer, a particular type of data buffer for use in graphical display
Optical buffer, a device that stores optically transmitted data without converting it to the electrical domain
Buffer amplifier (also sometimes simply called a buffer), an isolating circuit used in electronics or telecommunications
Buffer (optical fiber), a component used to encapsulate one or more optical fibers in a fiber optic communication cable