🇬🇧🇨🇳 peripheral - 外设 : English Lesson

Meaning of "peripheral" ("外设"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

A peripheral is a machine or gadget that you connect to a computer so it can do more things. For example, a printer is a peripheral that lets the computer put words and pictures on paper, and a mouse is a peripheral that helps you move and click on the screen. Peripherals don’t usually work by themselves; they work together with the computer, like helpers standing around it, waiting for their special job.

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

The microphone peripheral hears everything, including me singing off-key, which should be classified as a computer virus.

The printer peripheral eats paper so fast I’m checking to see if it secretly has teeth.

My gaming peripheral has so many buttons that I need a map just to find the jump one.

I plugged in a new peripheral and the computer froze, probably thinking, "Stranger danger!"

I named my mouse peripheral "Squeaky," and now I feel bad every time I click its head.

At the kitchen table the boy hooked a tiny peripheral into the old laptop. His favorite peripheral waited in its box. He then plugged a second peripheral, the flat scanner, and watched the image appear. A third peripheral, the small color printer, hummed and fed out the photo. Each peripheral blinked; his mother clapped.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.