external device


external device

[ek′stərn·əl di′vīs] (engineering) A piece of equipment that operates in conjunction with and under the control of a central system, such as a computer or control system, but is not part of the system itself.

external device

Any peripheral device that is not housed inside the computer cabinet. Monitors, keyboards, mice and printers are inherently external devices; however, drives, network adapters and modems may also be external. See external drive, external modem and USB adapter.