Adjective, mainly used as a noun. Expert or knowledgeable in something. As a noun, in Legal Spanish we use this term to refer to the expert who gives evidence in a hearing (audiencia pericial) or by means of a document (informe pericial). E.g.: Homicidio de Tino John: Un perito afirma que no hubo enfrentamiento: Homicide of Tino John: An expert witness affirms that there was no confrontation.
The adjective is pericial and the verb is peritar: to judge expertly.
My country has a famous glacier in the south called Perito Moreno. When I was a child, I assumed that Perito was the Christian name of a chap called Moreno, or a version of Pedrito (Pete); after all, everybody calls my father Pierino (Pete in Italian); but no – Mr. Moreno was an Argentine explorer who in 1902 was appointed perito, in which capacity he disproved Chilean claims to the continental divide in the Southern Cone and he was awarded a glacier named after him. His name was Francisco Pancracio Moreno. I guess you understand why we prefer to call him just Perito. dc
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