perish

Etymology

From Middle English perishen, borrowed from Old French perir (via the stem periss- used in various conjugations), from Latin perīre (“pass away, perish”), from per (“through”) + īre (“pass, go”).

verb

  1. (intransitive) To decay and disappear; to waste away to nothing.
    1881, Tarafa, translated by W. A. Clouston, The Poem of Tarafa I consider time as a treasure decreasing every night; and that which every day diminishes soon perishes for ever.
  2. (intransitive) To decay in such a way that it cannot be used for its original purpose
    The difficulty is that fresh foods perish due to the multiplication in them of harmful bacteria. 2015, Christopher Cumo, Foods that Changed History
  3. (intransitive) To die; to cease to live.
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To cause to perish.
    "Leggo my shou'der, I tell you! Leggo!" He struggled with her, and the customers came forward. "Chrise! I'll perish you, if you ain't careful!" He turned suddenly,... 1898, William Pett Ridge, By Order of the Magistrate, page 209

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