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peripheral

peripheral

2 5.5
A device like a keyboard or printer that connects to a computer
  • noun
  • /pəˈrɪfərəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : periférico
  • It allows you to expand your peripherals through PCI expansion.
  • computer peripheral

Any Thunderbolt peripheral and power right here.

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Examples

  • Now, this will give us access to flash drives, hard drives, all kinds of peripherals with the iPad Pro.

  • The new gaming mouse is an excellent peripheral for enhancing our computer experience.

  • And thanks to these, we can use virtually any peripheral or printer that we want.

  • It is a computer peripheral company and let me see if I can make this work.

  • The target peripheral may be connected directly to the chipset, or there may be a switch network between them.

    Blog text (6)
  • Apparently it's some kind of new portable peripheral for the Nintendo Wii.

    Blog text (11)
  • As a rule, if it worked in a previous release of Ubuntu, a peripheral will work just fine with the latest Ubuntu release.

    Blog text (10)
  • "We also wanted the new machine to be as fully automated as possible, making it as easy to use as a laser printer or other computer peripheral."

    Academic text (1995)
  • I mean, Belkin makes all kinds of peripherals and accessories for devices and computers.

  • The difference between the Wii U and the PS3 is that the Wii U's primary control peripheral has a touch screen.

    Blog text (22)

Synonyms

peripheral device
vsperipheral
  • Specialized
1 4.7

An electronic machine like a printer that connects to a computer to let you enter, see or save information

is the concise, common label for the same external equipment
computer accessory
vsperipheral
1 3.1

A device you add to a computer to make it work better or be easier to use

focuses on devices that work with the computer for core functions
computer peripheral
vsperipheral
  • Specialized
3.0

A device that connects to a computer, like a mouse or printer, but is not inside it

is the shorter general term for that nonessential computer equipment
I/O device
vsperipheral
  • Specialized
3.7

A machine like a keyboard or printer that moves information between a computer and a user

covers devices linked to the computer even when they do other tasks
auxiliary equipment
vsperipheral
  • Specialized
5.0

Devices that support the main system but are not controlled by its main computer

is connected and works with the CPU even if not an essential part

Antonyms

528 2.1

Very important and needed for something to work

73 5.3

Necessary and very important as part of a whole

Compounds

Sight at the sides of what you are looking at

1 4.2

The nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that send messages between the brain and other body parts

peripheral device
  • Specialized
1 4.7

An electronic machine like a printer that connects to a computer to let you enter, see or save information

computer peripheral
  • Specialized
3.0

A device that connects to a computer, like a mouse or printer, but is not inside it

How Essential

central processing unit
  • Specialized
1 4.2
component
447 3.4
peripheral
  • Specialized
2 5.5
accessory
70 3.5

Surface Forms

peripheral singular
peripherals plural

Etymology

Peripheral comes from the Greek peri- 'around' and the idea of being outside the centre, like a perimeter. So a computer peripheral is a device that sits around the main machine and connects to it but is not part of its core.