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Definition of perish verb from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

     

    perish

     verb
    verb
    NAmE//ˈpɛrɪʃ//
     
    Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they perish
     
    he / she / it perishes
     
    past simple perished
     
    -ing form perishing
     
     
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  1. 1[intransitive] (formal or literary) (of people or animals) to die, especially in a sudden violent way A family of four perished in the fire. Thousands perished at the hands of the invading forces.
  2. 2[intransitive] (formal) to be lost or destroyed Early buildings were made of wood and have perished.
    3. Idioms
    perish the thought (informal)
     
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    used to say that you find a suggestion unacceptable or that you hope that something will never happen Me get married? Perish the thought!
See perish in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
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