To die, especially in a violent or sudden way; to suffer complete ruin or destruction.
The Full Story
Latin/French13th centurywell-attested
From Old French periss- (extended stem of perir, to perish, to be destroyed), from Latin perīre (to pass away, to be lost, to die), composed of per- (through, completely, to destruction) + īre (to go), from PIE *h₁ey- (to go). The literal Latinmeaning was 'to go through' in the sense of passing entirely through life and out the other side — to 'go completely.' The prefix per- here carries its destructive/completive force, as it does in perish, perdition
Did you know?
The phrase 'perish the thought' has been used since at least the 18th century as a way of rejecting an unpleasant idea — literally wishing death upon a bad notion, as if thoughts were livingthings that could be killed.