perish

 
Pronunciation: /ˈpɛrɪʃ/

verb

[no object]
  • 1 literary die, especially in a violent or sudden way: a great part of his army perished of hunger and disease
  • suffer complete ruin or destruction: must these noble hopes perish so soon?
  • 2(of rubber, food, etc.) lose its normal qualities; rot or decay: an abandoned tyre whose rubber had perished
  • 3 (be perished) British informal be suffering from extreme cold: I was perished with cold before the end of the day

Phrases

perish the thought

informal used, often ironically, to show that one finds a suggestion or idea completely ridiculous or unwelcome: he wasn’t out to get drunk—perish the thought!

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French periss-, lengthened stem of perir, from Latin perire 'pass away', from per- 'through, completely' + ire 'go'