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• buffet
  buffet

  noun
• Buffet
  Buffet

  noun

  Bernard (bɛrnar). 1928–99, French painter and engraver. His works are characterized by sombre tones and thin angular forms

buffet

¹ American  

[buh-fey, boo-, boo-fey, buhf-it] / bəˈfeɪ, bʊ-, ˈbu feɪ, ˈbʌf ɪt /

noun

1. 1. a variety of dishes presented in a line, from which diners in a restaurant serve themselves, usually at a fixed price regardless of how much one eats.

      The lavish all-you-can-eat buffet delivered a feast of salads, curries, pasta dishes, and sumptuous desserts for $40.

   2. a restaurant where food is presented in this way.

      They own one of the best high-end buffets in the country.

2. a meal laid out on one or more tables so that guests may serve themselves.

3. a sideboard or cabinet for holding china, table linen, etc.

4. a wide variety of things to choose from.

   The school’s internet safety workshop contains a buffet of ideas for parents in the 21st century.

5. a counter, bar, or the like, for lunch or refreshments.

6. a restaurant containing such a counter or bar.

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adjective

1. consisting of food, refreshments, etc., laid out on tables or buffets from which guests or customers serve themselves: buffet service.

   a buffet supper;

   buffet service.

buffet ² American  

[buhf-it] / ˈbʌf ɪt /

noun

1. a blow, as with the hand or fist.

2. a violent shock or concussion.

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verb (used with object)

buffets, present (3rd person singular) buffeted, past participle, past buffeting present participle

1. to strike, as with the hand or fist.

   Synonyms:

   wallop, sock, hit, box, cuff, slap

2. to strike against or push repeatedly.

   The wind buffeted the house.

3. to contend against; battle.

verb (used without object)

buffets, present (3rd person singular) buffeted, past participle, past buffeting present participle

1. to struggle with blows of hand or fist.

2. to force one's way by a fight, struggle, etc.

buffet ¹ British  

noun

1. a counter where light refreshments are served

2. 1. a meal at which guests help themselves from a number of dishes and often eat standing up

   2. ( as modifier )

      a buffet lunch

3. a piece of furniture used from medieval times to the 18th century for displaying plates, etc and typically comprising one or more cupboards and some open shelves

4. dialect a kind of low stool, pouffe, or hassock

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buffet ² British  

/ ˈbʌfɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to knock against or about; batter

   the wind buffeted the boat

2. (tr) to hit, esp with the fist; cuff

3. to force (one's way), as through a crowd

4. (intr) to struggle; battle

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noun

1. a blow, esp with a fist or hand

2. aerodynamic excitation of an aircraft structure by separated flows

Buffet ³ British  

/ byfɛ /

noun

1. Bernard (bɛrnar). 1928–99, French painter and engraver. His works are characterized by sombre tones and thin angular forms

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• buffeter
  noun
• unbuffeted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• buffeting
  present
• buffeted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• buffet
  simple
• buffets
  simple
• have buffeted
  perfect
• has buffeted
  perfect
• am buffeting
  progressive
• are buffeting
  progressive
• is buffeting
  progressive
• have been buffeting
  perfect progressive
• has been buffeting
  perfect progressive

Past

• buffeted
  simple
• had buffeted
  perfect
• was buffeting
  progressive
• were buffeting
  progressive
• had been buffeting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will buffet
  simple
• will have buffeted
  perfect
• will be buffeting
  progressive
• will have been buffeting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of buffet¹

First recorded in 1710–20; from French, Old French; of obscure origin

Origin of buffet²

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, Old French buffe “a blow” + -et -et

Explanation

When you see the word buffet, it's hard not to think "all-you-can-eat." Although the noun can refer to food set out for self-service, buffet also means "a blow, especially with the hand" or, as a verb, "to strike sharply." The two meanings of buffet come from very different sources. The self-serve meal buffet — from 18th-century French and pronounced buh-FAY — is named after a piece of furniture, bufet ("sideboard"), on which such a meal might be served. The meaning of hitting, however, comes from the Old French word bufe, "a blow" or "a puff of wind," and is pronounced BUH-fit. If the wind buffets the windows of your house, it can make them rattle in their frames, and if you are buffeted by bad news, you might shake in your shoes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

buffet Buffet buffets buffeted buffeting

The pair went to a buffet restaurant where diners were charged according to the number of food sticks they accumulated throughout the meal.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

CARLSTADT, N.J.—The breakfast buffet at the SpringHill Suites East Rutherford serves packaged waffles and warns guests not to butter bread before putting it in the toaster.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

You can buffet your ownership legacy by handing this civic jewel to someone who will appreciate it.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026

His videos show elderly passengers mingling around the buffet table.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

“Yeah. I told them I needed to go with you to the doctor because you’re afraid of needles and your mother is busy working a luncheon buffet at the hotel.”

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

Then, they get into Bill Ackman once again trying and failing to make a closed-end fund happen, and why he’ll never be Warren Buffet.

From Slate ● May 2, 2026

“It’s a big mistake,” said Buffet, 94, speaking to tens of thousands gathered in Omaha.

From Salon ● May 3, 2025

Its famous customers included Snoop Dogg, Oprah Winfrey, Eva Longoria and Warren Buffet - and millions of users were getting unexpected and life-changing results.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2024

Buffet was recently feted at the Hollywood Bowl with a medley of performances featuring the Eagles, Paul McCartney and many others.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2024

Mom turned in to Arnie’s All-You-Can-Eat Buffet and rolled into a spot facing the building.

From "George" by Alex Gino

Las Vegas once offered cheap hotel rooms and buffets as loss leaders to lure gamblers into casinos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

In the loop outside the theater are food trucks, buffets, and more than half a dozen Vancouver-area coffee, tea, and matcha pop-ups serving unlimited boutique offerings.

From Slate ● May 8, 2026

But he has now set up a new account sharing the same kinds of videos, showing "roadmen" at grubby "infinity pools" and "taxpayer-funded buffets".

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026

Caesars Entertainment Corporation, a casino and hotel company that operated four Deen-themed buffets at various locations, ends its relationship with Deen less than two hours after her “Today” interview.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2025

She weathered the buffets of history with resilience—but she weathered the buffets of heredity with something more than resilience: a grace that we, as her descendants, can only hope to emulate.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

The group's performance reflects the roller coaster ride by cocoa prices over the past five years when it has been buffeted by wars, poor harvests and economic worries in key markets.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

Coastlines are already being buffeted and inundated by rising seas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Is this a particularly turbulent moment in British history that has left leaders buffeted by events?

From BBC ● May 16, 2026

And they have come to a private-credit market recently buffeted by a record number of redemption requests from investors, many of whom are nervous about the loans those funds hold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

An uncertain wind buffeted their faces, forcing their eyes to narrow.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Eyewitnesses told Swiss media that strong winds were buffeting the mountainside when the crash happened.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

Especially in retail, the crosscurrents buffeting companies since the pandemic demand different approaches, said Adolfo Villagomez, who took the helm of 1-800-Flowers.com from its founder in May.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

The luxury sector is currently going through a challenging period for sales globally that is impacting many companies, but Hermes has been well-protected from the buffeting.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2025

Globalization was buffeting the region with other big changes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2025

He orbited the chariot, gliding smoothly over the buffeting winds, spear raised.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Related Words

• batter
• clobber
• jolt
• pummel