buffet
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buffet¹
- /ˈbʊf.eɪ/ UK
- /ˈbʌf.eɪ/ UK
- /bəˈfeɪ/ US
- /bʌˈfeɪ/ US
- /ˈbə.feː/ India
- /bəˈfeː/ India
- /ˈbʊ.feː/ India
- /bʊˈfeː/ India
Rhymes with (US) -eɪ
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English buffet (“stool”), from Middle French buffet (“side table”), from Old French buffet, of unknown origin. The modern pronunciation is remodelled after modern French buffet.
noun buffets · beaufet
-
A counter or sideboard from which food and drinks are served or may be bought.
They stayed together during three dances, went out on to the terrace, explored wherever they were permitted to explore, paid two visits to the buffet, and enjoyed themselves much in the same way as if they had been school-children surreptitiously breaking loose from an assembly of grown-ups.
Similar: sideboard, smorgasbord, cupboard
-
Food laid out in this way, for diners to serve themselves.
We'll be serving supper buffet style.
Similar: buffet meal, smorgasbord
- A small low stool; a hassock.
buffet²
- /ˈbʌf.ɪt/
- /ˈbʌf.ət/
Where it comes from
From Middle English buffet (“buffet”), from Old French buffet, diminutive of buffe, cognate with Italian buffetto. See buffer, buffoon, and compare German puffen (“to jostle, to hustle”).
noun buffets
- A blow or cuff with or as if with the hand, or by any other solid object or the wind. On his cheek a buffet fell.
- The vibration of an aircraft when flying in or approaching a stall, caused by separation of airflow from the aircraft's wings. The aircraft configuration was such that there was little or no warning of the stall onset. The inboard slats were extended, and therefore, the flow separation from the stall would be limited to the outboard segment of the left wing and would not be felt by the left horizontal stabilizer. There woul
buffet³
- /ˈbʌf.ɪt/
- /ˈbʌf.ət/
Where it comes from
From Middle English buffeten, from Old French buffeter, from the noun (see above).
verb buffets · buffeting · buffetting · buffeted · buffetted
- To strike with a buffet; to cuff; to slap. They spit in his face and buffeted him.
-
To aggressively challenge, denounce, or criticise.
Is Burns obscure because he was gay and therefore ignorable until the Gay Rights Movement began? Or does he largely deserve his neglect? An answer requires that one examine not only Burns' books, but also the critical environment in which he was much buffeted — which, we are told, drove him to an ea
Similar: batter
-
To affect as with blows; to strike repeatedly; to strive with or contend against.
to buffet the billows
Similar: batter
- To deaden the sound of (bells) by muffling the clapper.
- To struggle, contend; also in figurative or extended use: to move as if driven by force. Again the chirpy tone did nothing to pacify the woman holding on to her ankles. Soon Zoe was buffeting back and forward through the hole.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: snack bar, sideboard, buff, batter, counter, knock about, snack counter, cafeteria, meal, cafe, food, credenza, table, cupboard, dresser, purse
Translations
Every language
noun food — see also smorgasbord
| Español | bufé, bufet, ambigú, comida, servicio de comida |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 무한리필 muhallipil |
| 日本語 | 食べ放題 tabehōdai, バイキング料理 baikingu ryōri, バイキング baikingu |
| 中文 | 自助餐 zìzhùcān |
| Português | bufê |
| Deutsch | Buffet |
| Русский | буфе́т bufét, фурше́т furšét, шве́дский стол švédskij stol |
| Tiếng Việt | búp phê |
| עברית | מִזְנוֹן miznón, בּוּפֶה bufé |
noun counter or sideboard
| Español | bufé, bufet, ambigú |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 뷔페 bwipe |
| 日本語 | ビュッフェ byuffe |
| 中文 | 餐具櫃 /餐具柜 cānjùjǔ |
| Português | bufê |
| Français | buffet |
| Deutsch | Anrichte, Büfett |
| Ελληνικά | μπουφές boufés |
| Русский | буфе́т bufét, сто́йка stójka |
| Tiếng Việt | búp phê |
| العربية | بُوفِيه būfēh |
| עברית | מִזְנוֹן miznón |
verb strike repeatedly and violently; batter
| हिन्दी | थपेड़ा thapeṛā |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | schlagen, stoßen, einen Puff versetzen, mit Püffen traktieren |
Talk about this word "buffet." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/buffet. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. buffet. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/buffet "buffet." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/buffet.Cite this
@misc{buffet_2026,
title = {buffet},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/buffet},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
