Part 855

They spit in his face and buffeted him. Matt. xxvi. 67.

2. To affect as with blows; to strike repeatedly; to strive with or contend against; as, to buffet the billows.

The sudden hurricane in thunder roars, Buffets the bark, and whirls it from the shores. Broome.

You are lucky fellows who can live in a dreamland of your own, instead of being buffeted about the world. W. Black.

3. [Cf. Buffer.] To deaden the sound of (bells) by muffling the clapper.

Buf"fet, v. i. 1. To exercise or play at boxing; to strike; to smite; to strive; to contend.

If I might buffet for my love, or bound my horse for her favors, I could lay on like a butcher. Shak.

2. To make one's way by blows or struggling.

Strove to buffet to land in vain. Tennyson.

Buf"fet*er (&?;), n. One who buffets; a boxer. Jonson.

Buf"fet*ing, n. 1. A striking with the hand.

2. A succession of blows; continued violence, as of winds or waves; afflictions; adversity.

He seems to have been a plant of slow growth, but . . . fitted to endure the buffeting on the rudest storm. Wirt.

Buf"fin (&?;), n. [So called from resembling buff &?;eather.] A sort of coarse stuff; as, buffin gowns. [Obs.]

Buff"ing ap`pa*ra"tus (&?;). See Buffer, 1.

Buf"fle (&?;), n. [OE., from F. buffle. See Buffalo.] The buffalo. [Obs.] Sir T. Herbert.

Buf"fle, v. i. To puzzle; to be at a loss. [Obs.] Swift.

Buf"fle*head` (&?;), n. [Buffle + head.] 1. One who has a large head; a heavy, stupid fellow. [Obs.]

What makes you stare so, bufflehead? Plautus (trans. 1694).

2. (Zoöl.) The buffel duck. See Buffel duck.

Buf"fle-head`ed, a. Having a large head, like a buffalo; dull; stupid; blundering. [Obs.]

So fell this buffle-headed giant. Gayton.

||Buf"fo (&?;), n.masc. [It. See Buffoon.] (Mus.) The comic actor in an opera.

Buf*foon" (&?;), n. [F. bouffon (cf. It. buffone, buffo, buffa, puff of wind, vanity, nonsense, trick), fr. bouffer to puff out, because the buffoons puffed out their cheeks for the amusement of the spectators. See Buffet a blow.] A man who makes a practice of amusing others by low tricks, antic gestures, etc.; a droll; a mimic; a harlequin; a clown; a merry-andrew.

Buf*foon" (&?;), a. Characteristic of, or like, a buffoon. "Buffoon stories." Macaulay.

To divert the audience with buffoon postures and antic dances. Melmoth.

Buf*foon", v. i. To act the part of a buffoon. [R.]

Buf*foon", v. t. To treat with buffoonery. Glanvill.