noun
perimeter
puh-RIM-i-ter/pəˈrɪmɪtər/
The outer boundary of an area or shape.
The red cord follows the entire perimeter of the garden bed.
Etymology
The pieces express a “measure around,” and their Greek compound meant circumference. This connects perimeter with the enclosing edge of a figure—the boundary one follows all the way around.
In context
They did. The blue markers formed a boundary—not around the park's perimeter, but inside it.
More examples
- Guards patrol the perimeter of the construction site.
- She plants flowers around the perimeter of her yard.
- We add the four side lengths to find the rectangle's perimeter.
Forms
perimeter · perimeters
Similar words
- boundary
- Boundary marks any dividing line, not necessarily an outer edge.
- edge
- Edge names where something ends, without implying a complete enclosure.
- circumference
- Circumference usually refers to the distance around a circle.