HOW TO PRONOUNCE
buffet
/bəˈfeɪ/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:33
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For the meal, the ending sounds like “fay.”
For the meal, stress FAY and leave the t silent. Other meanings of buffet can have a different pronunciation.
TRY SAYING
“A buffet breakfast.”
APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗What does buffet mean?
noun
- A counter or sideboard from which food and drinks are served or may be bought.
- Food laid out in this way, to which diners serve themselves.
- A small low stool; a hassock.
More meanings (7)
noun
- A blow or cuff with or as if with the hand, or by any other solid object or the wind.
- The vibration of an aircraft when flying in or approaching a stall, caused by separation of airflow from the aircraft's wings.
verb
- To strike with a buffet; to cuff; to slap.
- (figuratively) To aggressively challenge, denounce, or criticise.
- To affect as with blows; to strike repeatedly; to strive with or contend against.
- To deaden the sound of (bells) by muffling the clapper.
- To struggle, contend; also in figurative or extended use: to move as if driven by force.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/bəˈfeɪ/
Pronunciation used in the listening tip.
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
“The Priest,” said Clement, “is not half so confident of the Jew’s conversion, since he received that buffet on the ear.”
The torrent roar’d, and we did buffet it With lusty sinews, throwing it aside And stemming it with hearts of controversy.
More book examples (3)
He opened a bottle of wine, of which he kept a small and select supply in a buffet of his own.
Jean Valjean tottered, dropped the blotter, and fell into the old armchair beside the buffet, with drooping head, and glassy eyes, in utter bewilderment.
The moment he was through the hole in the roof, all the winds of heaven seemed to lay hold upon him, and buffet him hither and thither.