periférico
“periférico” means “peripheral” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
peripheral
Also: outer, secondary
📝 In Action
La policía patrulla los barrios periféricos de la capital.
B1The police patrol the outer neighborhoods of the capital.
Ese es un tema periférico y no el problema principal.
B2That is a secondary issue and not the main problem.
La visión periférica nos permite ver hacia los lados.
C1Peripheral vision allows us to see to the sides.
peripheral, ring road
Also: bypass
📝 In Action
Tengo que comprar un periférico nuevo para mi ordenador.
B1I have to buy a new peripheral for my computer.
Hay mucho tráfico en el periférico esta mañana.
A2There is a lot of traffic on the ring road this morning.
El escáner es un periférico de entrada.
B2The scanner is an input peripheral.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: periférico
Question 1 of 3
If you are driving around the edge of a city to avoid the center, you are driving on...
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👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Greek word 'peripheria' (meaning to carry around), which passed through Latin as 'peripheria'. It refers to the outer boundary of a circle.
First recorded: 18th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'la periferia' and 'el periférico'?
'La periferia' is a noun referring to the area (the outskirts), while 'el periférico' is either the describing word (adjective) or the specific road/device (noun).
Is 'periférico' only for computers?
No! While common in tech, it is also used for medicine (peripheral nervous system), urban planning (outer roads), and general conversation (secondary issues).
Why is there an accent mark on the 'e'?
Because the stress falls on the third-to-last syllable (pe-ri-FÉ-ri-co). In Spanish, words stressed here always need a written accent.