Periphery
[puh-rif-uh-ree] /pəˈrɪf ə ri/
noun, plural peripheries.
1.
the external boundary of any surface or area.
2.
the external surface of a body.
3.
the edge or outskirts, as of a city or urban area.
4.
the relatively minor, irrelevant, or superficial aspects of the subject in question:
The preliminary research did not, of course, take me beyond the periphery of my problem.
5.
Anatomy. the area in which nerves end.
/pəˈrɪfərɪ/
noun (pl) -eries
1.
the outermost boundary of an area
2.
the outside surface of something
3.
(anatomy) the surface or outermost part of the body or one of its organs or parts
n.
late 14c., “atmosphere around the earth,” from Old French periferie (Modern French périphérie), from Medieval Latin periferia, from Late Latin peripheria, from Greek peripheria “circumference, outer surface, line round a circular body,” literally “a carrying around,” from peripheres “rounded, moving round, revolving,” peripherein “carry or move round,” from peri- “round about” (see peri-) + pherein “to carry” (see infer). Meaning “outside boundary of a surface” attested in English from 1570s; general sense of “boundary” is from 1660s.
periphery pe·riph·er·y (pə-rĭf’ə-rē)
n.
Read Also:
- Periphlebitis
periphlebitis per·i·phle·bi·tis (pěr’ə-flĭ-bī’tĭs) n. Inflammation of the outer coat of a vein or of tissues surrounding it.
- Periphrase
[puh-rif-ruh-sis] /pəˈrɪf rə sɪs/ noun, plural periphrases [puh-rif-ruh-seez] /pəˈrɪf rəˌsiz/ (Show IPA) 1. the use of an unnecessarily long or roundabout form of expression; circumlocution. 2. an expression phrased in such fashion. /pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/ noun (pl) -rases (-rəˌsiːz) 1. a roundabout way of expressing something; circumlocution 2. an expression of this kind n. 1530s, from Latin […]
- Periphrasis
[puh-rif-ruh-sis] /pəˈrɪf rə sɪs/ noun, plural periphrases [puh-rif-ruh-seez] /pəˈrɪf rəˌsiz/ (Show IPA) 1. the use of an unnecessarily long or roundabout form of expression; circumlocution. 2. an expression phrased in such fashion. /pəˈrɪfrəsɪs/ noun (pl) -rases (-rəˌsiːz) 1. a roundabout way of expressing something; circumlocution 2. an expression of this kind n. 1530s, from Latin […]
- Periphrastic
[per-uh-fras-tik] /ˌpɛr əˈfræs tɪk/ adjective 1. circumlocutory; roundabout. 2. Grammar. noting a construction of two or more words having the same syntactic function as an inflected word, as of Mr. Smith in the son of Mr. Smith, which is equivalent to Mr. Smith’s in Mr. Smith’s son. /ˌpɛrɪˈfræstɪk/ adjective 1. employing or involving periphrasis 2. […]
- Periphytic
[puh-rif-i-ton] /pəˈrɪf ɪˌtɒn/ noun, Ecology. 1. the community of tiny organisms, as protozoans, hydras, insect larvae, and snails, that lives on the surfaces of rooted aquatic plants. /pəˈrɪfɪˌtɒn/ noun 1. aquatic organisms, such as certain algae, that live attached to rocks or other surfaces