Word Study
peripheral
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun peripheral has 1 sense
- peripheral(n = noun.artifact) computer peripheral, peripheral device - (computer science) electronic equipment connected by cable to the CPU of a computer; "disk drives and printers are important peripherals" is a part of computer, computing device, computing machine, data processor, electronic computer, information processing system
has particulars: data input device, input device, output device, printer
is a kind of electronic equipment
Adjective peripheral has 2 senses
- peripheral(a = adj.all) Array - on or near an edge or constituting an outer boundary; the outer area; "Russia's peripheral provinces"; "peripheral suburbs" Antonym: central
- peripheral(s = adj.all) Array - related to the key issue but not of central importance; "a peripheral interest"; "energy is far from a peripheral issue in the economy"; "peripheral issues"
Derived form noun periphery1
CIDE DICTIONARY
peripheral, a.
- Of or pertaining to a periphery; constituting a periphery; peripheric. [1913 Webster]
- External; away from the center; as, the peripheral portion of the nervous system. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
peripheral, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 of minor importance; marginal.
2 of the periphery; on the fringe.
3 Anat. near the surface of the body, with special reference to the circulation and nervous system.
4 (of equipment) used with a computer etc. but not an integral part of it.
--n. a peripheral device or piece of equipment.
--adj.
1 of minor importance; marginal.
2 of the periphery; on the fringe.
3 Anat. near the surface of the body, with special reference to the circulation and nervous system.
4 (of equipment) used with a computer etc. but not an integral part of it.
--n. a peripheral device or piece of equipment.
Idiom
peripheral nervous system Anat. the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.
Derivative
peripherally adv.
THESAURUS
peripheral
ambient, apparent, beside the point, circling, circumambient, circumferential, circumflex, circumfluent, circumfluous, circumjacent, cortical, delineatory, embracing, encircling, enclosing, encompassing, enfolding, enveloping, environing, epidermic, exomorphic, exterior, external, extrinsic, fringe, in outline, incidental, inessential, irrelevant, minor, neighboring, open, out, outer, outermost, outlined, outlying, outmost, outside, outstanding, outward, outward-facing, perimetric, public, roundabout, secondary, seeming, suburban, superficial, surface, surrounding, tangential, unessential, unimportant, unnecessary, wrapping
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