<p>The French word tampon can have several different meanings. It can mean stopper, plug, wad, swab, tampon (<a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/menstrual-time-to-have-your-period-in-french-1369351" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1">menstrual</a> product), stamp, or buffer.</p><h3>Examples using Tampon</h3><p><em>Je </em><em>vais</em><em> </em><em>boucher</em><em> </em><em>cette</em><em> </em><em>voie</em><em> </em><em>d&#39;eau</em><em> </em><em>avec</em><em> un tampon de </em><a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/le-bois-vocabulary-1371650" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="2"><em>bois</em></a> - I&#39;m going to plug this leak with a wooden stopper<br/><br/><em>Il a </em><em>besoin</em><em> </em><em>d&#39;un</em><em> tampon pour </em><em>vernir</em><em> <a href="https://www.tripsavvy.com/table-etiquette-in-france-1517322" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="externalLink" data-ordinal="3">la table</a></em> - He needs a pad to varnish the table.<br/><br/><em>Je n&#39;aime pas les tampons ; je préfère les serviettes hygiéniques</em> - I don&#39;t like tampons; I prefer sanitary napkins.<br/><br/><em>Elle sert de tampon entre les gens qui disputent</em> - She serves as a buffer between people who are disputing.<br/><br/>(invariable adj) - buffer<br/><br/><em>C&#39;est une zone tampon</em> - It&#39;s a buffer zone<br/><br/>Note that tampon is a semi-<a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/french-english-false-cognates-faux-amis-1364675" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="4">false cognate</a> in English, in which it has only one meaning.</p>