Buff vs. Polish — What's the Difference?

A yellowish-beige colour

Of or relating to Poland, the Poles, their language, or their culture.

A stout dull yellow leather with a velvety surface.

The Slavic language of the Poles.

A stick, wheel, or pad used for polishing.

Smoothness or shininess of surface or finish.

A person who is enthusiastically interested in and very knowledgeable about a particular subject

A substance containing chemical agents or abrasive particles and applied to smooth or shine a surface

Polish (something)

The act or process of polishing

Make (an element in a role-playing or video game) more powerful

Elegance of style or manners; refinement.

(of a person or their body) in good physical shape with well-developed muscles

To make smooth and shiny by rubbing or chemical action.

A soft, thick, undyed leather made chiefly from the skins of buffalo, elk, or oxen.

To remove the outer layers from (grains of rice) by rotation in drums.

A military uniform coat made of such leather.

To refine or remove flaws from; perfect or complete

A pale, light, or moderate yellowish pink to yellow, including moderate orange-yellow to light yellowish brown.

To become smooth or shiny by being rubbed

A piece of soft material, such as velvet or leather, often mounted on a block and used for polishing.

A substance used to polish.

One who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a subject

Cleanliness; smoothness, shininess.

Made or formed of buff

Refinement; cleanliness in performance or presentation.

Of the color buff.

(transitive) To shine; to make a surface very smooth or shiny by rubbing, cleaning, or grinding.

Buff·er, buff·est Slang Having good muscle tone; physically fit and trim

(transitive) To refine; remove imperfections from.

To polish or shine with a piece of soft material.

(transitive) To apply shoe polish to shoes.

To soften the surface of (leather) by raising a nap.

(intransitive) To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface.

To make the color of buff.

(transitive) To refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite.

Undyed leather from the skin of buffalo or similar animals.

Of or pertaining to Poland or its inhabitants.

A tool, often one covered with buff leather, used for polishing.

To make smooth and glossy, usually by friction; to burnish; to overspread with luster; as, to polish glass, marble, metals, etc.

(color) A brownish yellow colour.

Hence, to refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite; as, to polish life or manners.

A military coat made of buff leather.

To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface; as, steel polishes well.

(informal) A person who is very interested in a particular subject.

A smooth, glossy surface, usually produced by friction; a gloss or luster.

An effect that makes a character or item stronger.

Anything used to produce a gloss.

(rail transport) Compressive coupler force that occurs during a slack bunched condition.

Fig.: Refinement; elegance of manners.

(colloquial) The bare skin.

The property of being smooth and shiny

The greyish viscid substance constituting the buffy coat.

A highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality;

Any substance used to dilute (street) drugs in order to increase profits.

A preparation used in polishing

(obsolete) A buffet; a blow.

The Slavic language of Poland

(informal) A buffalo, or the meat of a buffalo.

(of surfaces) make shine;

(color) Of the color of buff leather, a brownish yellow.

Improve or perfect by pruning or polishing;

(bodybuilding) Unusually muscular.

Bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state;

(slang) Physically attractive.

Of or relating to Poland or its people or culture;

To polish and make shiny by rubbing.

To make a character or an item stronger.

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

To strike.

To stammer, stutter

A sort of leather, prepared from the skin of the buffalo, dressed with oil, like chamois; also, the skins of oxen, elks, and other animals, dressed in like manner.

The color of buff; a light yellow, shading toward pink, gray, or brown.

A military coat, made of buff leather.

A wheel covered with buff leather, and used in polishing cutlery, spoons, etc.

The bare skin; as, to strip to the buff.

A buffet; a blow; - obsolete except in the phrase "Blindman's buff." See blindman's buff.

Made of buff leather.

Of the color of buff.

Firm; sturdy.

To strike.

An ardent follower and admirer

A soft thick undyed leather from the skins of e.g. buffalo or oxen

Bare skin;

A medium to dark tan color

An implement consisting of soft material mounted on a block; used for polishing (as in manicuring)

Strike, beat repeatedly;

Polish and make shiny;

Of the color of buff leather