peripheral

Intermediatezipf 3.66

Pronunciation

/pəˈrɪfərəl/(puh-RIF-ur-ul)

Part of speech

adjective / nounneutral

Chinese

(adj) 外围的；次要的 (n) 外围设备

Definition

(adj) Relating to or situated on the edge; of secondary importance. (n) A device connected to a computer.

Word family

  • periphery/pəˈrɪfəri/(n)边缘

Collocations

  • peripheral vision
  • peripheral role
  • peripheral issue
  • on the periphery
  • peripheral device

Examples

  1. 1.The debate focused on peripheral issues while ignoring the central problem of funding. (secondary)
  2. 2.She caught a glimpse of movement in her peripheral vision. (edge of visual field)

Synonyms

  • marginal/ˈmɑːrdʒɪnl/— at the edge, minor
  • secondary/ˈsɛkəndəri/— of lesser importance
  • tangential/tænˈdʒɛnʃəl/— only slightly connected

Etymology

from Greek "periphereia" (circumference) — "peri-" (around) + "pherein" (to carry) — carried around the edge