different between partisan vs buff

English

Alternative forms

• partizan

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?p??.t??zæn/, /?p??.t??zæn/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?p??.??.z?n/, /?p??.??.z?n/, /-s?n/

Etymology 1

From French partisan, from Italian partigiano (“defender of a party”), from parte (“part”). Doublet of partigiano. Attested in English from the late 15th century in the noun sense of "party adherent", and in related adjective senses from the 16th century. The "guerilla fighter" sense influenced by Serbo-Croatian partizan, Russian ????????? (partizán), from the same source.The sense of "guerilla fighter" is from c. 1690.The adjective in the military sense dates from the early 18th century.(Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Noun

partisan (plural partisans)

1. An adherent to a party or faction.
   • 1992, Thomas R. Pegram, "Partisans and Progressives: Private Interest and Public Policy in Illinois

     "Strong partisans of neither party, Indiana farmers failed to act as a block […] "

2. A fervent, sometimes militant, supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.
3. A member of a band of detached light, irregular troops acting behind occupying enemy lines in the ways of harassment or sabotage; a guerrilla fighter.
4. (now rare) The commander of a body of detached light troops engaged in making forays and harassing an enemy.

Related terms

• copartisan
• part
• partisanism
• partisanry
• partisanship
• party

Translations

Adjective

partisan (comparative more partisan, superlative most partisan)

1. Serving as commander or member of a body of detached light troops.

2. Adherent to a party or faction; especially, having the character of blind, passionate, or unreasonable adherence to a party.
3. Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause.

Translations

Etymology 2

From French partizaine, from Middle French partizaine, partisanne etc., from Italian partigiana, related to Etymology 1 above (apparently because it was seen as a typical weapon of such forces).

Noun

partisan (plural partisans)

1. (historical) A long-handled spear with a triangular, double-edged blade having lateral projections, in some forms also used in boar hunting.

   • I had as lief have a reed that will do me no service as a partisan I could not heave.
2. (obsolete) A soldier armed with such a weapon.

Translations

See also

• halberd

References

Further reading

• Partisan in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• Partains, Sarpanit, aspirant, spartina

French

Etymology

From Italian partigiano.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pa?.ti.z??/

Noun

partisan m (plural partisans, feminine partisane)

1. supporter, proponent, advocate
2. (sports) fan

Adjective

partisan (feminine singular partisane, masculine plural partisans, feminine plural partisanes)

1. partisan, partial
2. in favour of

Further reading

• “partisan” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• aspirant

Norman

Etymology

Borrowed from French partisan.

Noun

partisan m (plural partisans)

1. (Jersey) supporter

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Italian partigiano, via French partisan

Noun

partisan m (definite singular partisanen, indefinite plural partisaner, definite plural partisanene)

1. a partisan (member of an armed group)

References

• “partisan” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Italian partigiano, via French partisan

Noun

partisan m (definite singular partisanen, indefinite plural partisanar, definite plural partisanane)

1. a partisan (member of an armed group)

References

• “partisan” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /b?f/
• Rhymes: -?f

Etymology 1

From buffe (“leather”), from Middle French buffle (“buffalo”).

Noun

buff (countable and uncountable, plural buffs)

1. Undyed leather from the skin of buffalo or similar animals.
   • c. 1589, William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors, Act IV, Scene 2,^[1]

     […] he’s in a a suit of buff […]

2. A tool, often one covered with buff leather, used for polishing.
3. A brownish yellow colour.
   • 1693, John Dryden (translator), The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis Translated into English Verse, London: Jacob Tonson, Satire 10, lines 307-308, p. 203,^[2]

     […] a Visage rough,

     Deform’d, Unfeatur’d, and a Skin of Buff.

   • 1929, Dashiell Hammett, Red Harvest, Chapter 24,^[3]

     His face changed from tan to buff.

4. A military coat made of buff leather.
   • c. 1594, William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors, [Act IV, scene ii]:

     A diuell in an euerla?ting garment hath him ; / On who?e hard heart is button’d vp with ?teele : / A Feind, a Fairie, pittile??e and ruffe : / A Wolfe, nay wor?e, a fellow all in buffe […]

5. (informal) A person who is very interested in a particular subject; an enthusiast.

   He’s a real history buff. He knows everything there is to know about the civil war.

6. (video games, role-playing games) An effect that makes a character or item stronger.

   I just picked up an epic damage buff! Let's go gank the other team!

7. (rail transport) Compressive coupler force that occurs during a slack bunched condition.
8. (colloquial) The bare skin.

   to strip to the buff

   • 1857, Thomas Wright, Dictionary of Obsolete and Provincial English, London: Henry G. Bohn, p. 265,^[4]

     To be in buff, is equivalent to being naked.

9. The greyish viscid substance constituting the buffy coat.
10. A substance used to dilute (street) drugs in order to increase profits.
    • 2014, “Aldergrove’s 856 gang busted, $400,000 in drugs seized,” CBC News, 30 July, 2014,^[5]

      Police say this 20 ton hydraulic jack was used to press mixtures of cocaine and “buff” into brick.

Derived terms

• in the buff
• buffery
• buffhood
• buffism

Synonyms

• (an enthusiast about a particular subject): aficionado
• (video games): revamp

Antonyms

• (video games): debuff, nerf

Translations

Adjective

buff (comparative buffer or more buff, superlative buffest or most buff)

1. Of the color of buff leather, a brownish yellow.
2. (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."

3. (slang) Physically attractive.

Derived terms

• buff-tip moth
• buffly
• buffster

Translations

Verb

buff (third-person singular simple present buffs, present participle buffing, simple past and past participle buffed)

1. To polish and make shiny by rubbing.

2. (video games, role-playing games) To make a character or an item stronger.

3. (medical slang) To modify a medical chart, especially in a dishonest manner.

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, nerf

Translations

See also

• Appendix:Colors

Etymology 2

Old French bufer (“to cuff, buffet”). See buffet (“a blow”).

Verb

buff (third-person singular simple present buffs, present participle buffing, simple past and past participle buffed)

1. To strike.

Noun

buff (plural buffs)

1. (obsolete) A buffet; a blow.

Derived terms

• blind man's buff

Etymology 3

Clipping of buffalo.

Noun

buff (countable and uncountable, plural buffs)

1. (informal) A buffalo, or the meat of a buffalo.
   • 2006, Bradley Mayhew, Joe Bindloss, Stan Armington, Nepal

     […] diced buff (buffalo) meat, usually heavily spiced […]