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Buff vs Hench - What's the difference?

buff | hench | Synonyms |

Hench is a synonym of buff.



As nouns the difference between buff and hench

is that buff is undyed leather from the skin of buffalo or similar animals while hench is the narrow side of chimney stack, a haunch.

As adjectives the difference between buff and hench

is that buff is of the color of buff leather, a brownish yellow while hench is big, strong, and muscular.

As verbs the difference between buff and hench

is that buff is to polish and make shiny by rubbing while hench is to be a henchman or henchwoman, usually for a supervillain.

As an acronym BUFF

is big Ugly Fat Fellow (or Fucker); US Airforce nickname for the B-52 bomber.

buff

English

Etymology 1

From .

Noun

(en noun)
  • Undyed leather from the skin of buffalo or similar animals.
  • * Shakespeare
    • a suit of buff
  • A tool, often one covered with buff leather, used for polishing.
  • A brownish yellow colour.
  • * Dryden
    • a visage rough, deformed, unfeatured, and a skin of buff
  • A military coat made of buff leather.
    • (Shakespeare)
  • (informal) A person who is very interested in a particular subject; an enthusiast.
    • He’s a history buff .
  • (gaming) An effect that temporally makes a gaming character stronger.
  • (rail transport) Compressive coupler force that occurs during a slack bunched condition.
  • The bare skin.
    • to strip to the buff
  • * Wright
    • To be in buff is equivalent to being naked.
  • The greyish viscid substance constituting the buffy coat.
  • A substance used to dilute (street) drugs in order to increase profits.
  • * Police said the 20 ton hydraulic jack was used to press mixtures of cocaine and "buff" into bricks. (CBC)
    • Derived terms
    * in the buff
    Antonyms
    * (video games) debuff * (video games) nerf

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Of the color of buff leather, a brownish yellow.
  • (bodybuilding): Unusually muscular. (also buffed'' or ''buffed out )
    • The bouncer was a big, buff dude with tattoos, a shaved head, and a serious scowl.
  • * 1994 , Blurred Boundaries: Questions of Meaning in Contemporary Culture , page 155:
    • The appearance of logic often derives from faulty syllogisms such as Sgt. Koon's conclusion that King was an ex-con because he was "buffed out " (heavily muscled). The thinking is: "ex-cons are often buffed out; this man is buffed out; therefore, this man is an ex-con."
  • (slang) attractive.
    • Derived terms
    * buff-tip moth * buffly

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To polish and make shiny by rubbing.
  • (gaming) To make a character stronger.
    • The enchanter buffed the paladin to prepare him to fight the dragon.
    Derived terms
    * buff out * buff up * buff wheel

    Synonyms

    * (to make smooth and shiny by rubbing) wax, shine, polish, furbish, burnish
    Antonyms
    * (video games) debuff * (video games) nerf

    See also

    *

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To strike.
    • (Ben Jonson)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A buffet; a blow.
  • * Spenser
    • Nathless so sore a buff to him it lent / That made him reel.
    Derived terms
    * blind man's buff

    hench

    English

    Noun

    (es)
  • (architecture) The narrow side of chimney stack, a haunch .
  • (architecture) The side of an arch from the topmost part (crown) to the bottommost part (impost).

    • Verb

    (es)
  • (comics) To be a henchman or henchwoman, usually for a supervillain.

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (UK, slang) Big, strong, and muscular.
    • He's well hench .
    That's a seriously hench doorman.

    Synonyms

    * buff