Buff

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /bʌf/

Definitions

1. To smooth or shine the surface of something by rubbing vigorously A soft, thick leather made from the skin of a domestic animal A light yellowish-beige color often applied to clothing or paint
2. To improve the appearance or condition of a material by rubbing it carefully A devoted fan or expert of a particular interest or activity A descriptor for someone with well-developed musculature or fitness
3. To polish or make glossy by friction ; a person enthusiastic about a special subject or hobby ; a pale beige shade resembling natural leather

Etymology: Polishing "buff" by rubbing comes from leather, not from the animal most people picture. The noun for the soft, lightly dressed leather used for polishing traces back through Middle French "buffle," meaning buffalo, because buffalo hide was a common source of such leather. The same Greek root, "boúbalos," gave Latin "būbalus" and Italian "bufalo" along the way, so the leather and the animal share a single ancestry. The verb has a separate history. It draws on Old French "bufer," meaning to cuff or strike, which is also the source of "buffet" as a blow. Polishing with a soft leather pad is a kind of repeated rubbing, and that sense of rubbing hard against a surface seems to have fed the verb's use.

Synonyms: polish, shine, wax, furbish, brighten

Antonyms: dull, blemish, mar