per·ish
(pĕŕĭsh)
[Middle English perishen, from Old French perir, periss-, to perish, from Latin perīre, per-, per-, + īre, to go.]
verb: -ished, -ish·ing, -ish·es.
intransitive verb
- To die or be destroyed, especially in a violent or untimely manner: “Must then a Christ perish in torment in every age to save those who have no imagination?” (George Bernard Shaw)
- To pass from existence; disappear gradually: “Man will go down into the pit, and all his thoughts will perish” (A.J. Balfour)
- Chiefly British To spoil or deteriorate.
transitive verb
- To bring to destruction; destroy: “Many foul blights/Perish'd his hard won gains” (Thomas Hood)
idioms
- perish the thought
- Used to express the wish that one not even think about something.