buff

1 of 3

noun

1
: a garment (such as a uniform) made of buff leather
2
: the state of being nude
sunbathing in the buff
3
a
: a moderate orange yellow
b
: a light to moderate yellow
4
: a device having a soft absorbent surface (as of cloth) by which polishing material is applied
5
[earlier buff an enthusiast about going to fires; perhaps from the buff overcoats worn by volunteer firefighters in New York City about 1820] : fan, enthusiast

buff

2 of 3

adjective

1
: of the color buff
2
or buffed : having a physique enhanced by bodybuilding exercises

buff

3 of 3

verb

buffed; buffing; buffs

transitive verb

1
: polish, shine
waxed and buffed the floor
2
: to give a velvety surface to (leather)

Examples of buff in a Sentence

Noun he's such a film buff that he owns over 3,000 movies protected by a fully enclosed backyard, the couple would frequently sunbathe in the buff Adjective He's at the gym every day trying to get buff. the buff body of an athlete Verb The floors are waxed and buffed every year. She is going to the salon to get her nails buffed.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
As a result, the tours don’t always attract thrill seekers, but people interested in the supernatural, history buffs, true crime fanatics, families and even skeptics, Ironside said. N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024 And okay, the timing of when people got their merge buffs was a bit delayed. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The kid just wanted to drink his green juice and crochet scarves live on the internet and also be somewhat inexplicably buff. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2024 By contrast, and fortunately for us, sitting just to Monsieur Pinault’s left in this shot, is the ne plus ultra of global peacocks and not least, the most buff aging rocker there is, Lenny Kravitz, age 60. Guy Martin, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Verb
Wipe and Buff the Leather After allowing 30 minutes for the leather to absorb the conditioner, use a soft microfiber cloth to wipe any excess balm and buff the leather. Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024 This 2023 Best of Beauty winner has a genius teardrop shape and elliptical bristles that buff away streaks around the nose, jaw, and hairline with ease. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for buff 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French buffle wild ox, from Old Italian bufalo

First Known Use

Noun

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of buff was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near buff

Cite this Entry

“Buff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buff. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

buff

1 of 3 noun
1
: an orange yellow
2
: a device with a soft absorbent surface (as of cloth) for applying polishing material
3
: fan entry 3, enthusiast
a tennis buff

buff

2 of 3 adjective
: of the color buff

buff

3 of 3 verb
: to polish with or as if with a buff

More from Merriam-Webster on buff

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