buffet

«buffet» in Mova's school dictionary: A buffet (said «BUFF-ay» or «boo-FAY») is a meal where… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (a buffet, buffets); verb (buffet, buffets, buffeted, buffeting)

meaning for a pupil

1) A buffet (said «BUFF-ay» or «boo-FAY») is a meal where food is set out on a table and people serve themselves. tree →

2) A buffet is a café or carriage on a train or at a station where you can buy food. tree →

3) To buffet (said «BUFF-it») is to hit or push something again and again, like strong wind or waves. tree →

4) (old) A buffet is a side cabinet for dishes. tree →

sense in the lessons

Parties, weddings and hotels often have a buffet; «all-you-can-eat buffet» means you pay once and eat as much as you like. In stories and weather reports, boats and people are buffeted by wind and waves. Phrases: «buffet lunch», «buffet car», «buffeted by the wind».

examples

• At the party there was a buffet with sandwiches and cake. tree →
• We helped ourselves from the buffet. tree →
• The hotel serves a breakfast buffet. tree →
• Dad bought tea from the buffet car on the train. tree →
• The little boat was buffeted by the waves. tree →
• Strong winds buffeted the tent all night. tree →
• It was an all-you-can-eat buffet, so my brother had four plates. tree →
• The infuriated pirates buffeted them in the mouth; and Hook roared out, “That seals your doom. tree →

note

Two pronunciations, two meanings: food = «BUFF-ay» (the t is silent), hitting = «BUFF-it». Verb forms: buffeted, buffeting (single t). Polite buffet manners: take a fair share, use the serving spoons, don't touch food you won't take.

In the corpora

• At a buffet, taking a little and going back for more wastes less than piling up a full plate.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «buffet» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.