noun / verb

buffet

A forceful blow or repeated battering.

Strong winds buffet the small boat.

Etymology

The older word means a blow or slap. English keeps that physical sense and uses the verb for repeated battering, including blows delivered by waves or wind.

More examples

The waves buffeted the harbor wall.
A heavy buffet knocked him sideways.
The tent was buffeted by gusts all night.

Forms

buffet · buffets · buffeted · buffeting

Similar words

batter: Strike repeatedly with force.
pummel: Often repeated blows from fists.