Prellbock

The German word "Prellbock" is a compound noun made up of:

• "prellen" (to bounce or to defraud), though here it relates more to the idea of bouncing or stopping suddenly,
• "Bock" (buck or male goat, but in compound nouns often means "block" or "stop").

"Prellbock" means buffer stop or bumper in railway contexts — a device at the end of a track that stops trains from rolling off.

Similar words:

• Endanschlag (end stop)
• Puffer (buffer)

Difference:

• Prellbock specifically refers to a railway buffer stop, usually a physical structure at the track end.
• Puffer can mean buffer more generally (including shock absorbers, buffers between objects).
• Endanschlag is a more general term for any kind of end stop, not necessarily railway-specific.