bufferen

Bufferen is a Dutch verb meaning to buffer, cushion, or provide temporary storage. In information technology, it most often denotes the act of storing data in a temporary memory area called a buffer. The related noun buffer refers to the storage itself. The term is used in both technical and everyday language to describe smoothing fluctuations or delaying actions to allow other parts of a system to catch up.

In computing and data transfer, a buffer absorbs variability in production and consumption rates. This helps align speeds between devices or software components. Buffers are used in input/output operations, file systems, streaming and processing pipelines, and can be implemented in RAM, caches, or specialized hardware. They reduce the impact of latency and interruptions by providing a reservoir of data.

In networking and multimedia, buffers handle jitter and network congestion. Streaming services preload data to minimize startup time and playback pauses; video players buffer frames while the rest of the stream downloads. Buffering strategies balance memory use against responsiveness.

In other domains, buffers are used in digital signal processing and data acquisition to store samples before processing, or to decouple timing between stages. The concept also appears metaphorically to describe steps taken to soften the impact of changes or shocks.

See also: buffer (computing), buffering, jitter, queue.