[1880–85; ‹ Gk perísta(tos) surrounded (verbid of periístanai to stand round, equiv. to peri- peri- + sta-, base of histánai to stand + -tos verbal adj. suffix) + -lith]This word is first recorded in the period 1880–85. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Chief of Staff, interface, jackpot, quotation mark, rain check-lith is a combining form meaning “stone” (acrolith; megalith; paleolith); it sometimes occurs in words as a variant form of -lite (batholith; laccolith)