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n. pl. pe·riph·er·ies 1. A line that forms the boundary of an area; a perimeter. 2. The outside surface of an object. 3. The area along a boundary; the margin. See Synonyms at circumference. 4. An area of secondary status or lesser importance: works that have been relegated to the periphery of literary studies. [Middle English periferie, from Medieval Latin periferia, from Late Latin peripherīa, from Greek periphereia, from peripherēs, carrying around : peri-, peri- + pherein, to carry; see bher-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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