Protective cushions or zones that reduce impact, shock, or conflict; things that separate opposing forces.
From Old French 'buff' (a blow or impact), possibly from imitative origins, plus the agent suffix '-er.' The term gained chemical meaning in the 19th century and computing meaning in the 20th century.
In chemistry, a buffer is genius—it's a solution that resists changes in pH, which is why our blood has buffers that keep us from getting too acidic or basic, and if those buffers fail, you can literally die within minutes.
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