buffon means A surname. It carries an Arena rating of 1368, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, buffon ranks #7,036 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #7,336 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #7,675 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #8,009 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words.
buffon is pronounced /ˈbʌf.ən/.
Why “buffon” is a great word
A surname of French and Italian origin, from the Old French buffe, meaning "a slap, a jest," and related to the Italian buffone, "jester, clown." Unlike "buffoon" (a ridiculous performer) or "surname" (a generic category), Buffon is the specific vessel of history, a name that escaped its origins. It is the ink-stained fingers of a naturalist cataloguing thirty-six volumes, the gloved hands of a goalkeeper springing sideways at forty-five, the quiet echo of a jest that became an identity—the jester's mask worn long enough to become a face.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.