Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
perishable [per-i-shuh-buh l] ExamplesWord Origin adjective
- subject to decay, ruin, or destruction: perishable fruits and vegetables.
noun
- Usually perishables. something perishable, especially food.
Origin of perishable First recorded in 1605–15; perish + -able Related formsper·ish·a·bil·i·ty, per·ish·a·ble·ness, nounper·ish·a·bly, adverbun·per·ish·a·ble, adjective Examples from the Web for perishability Historical Examples of perishability
The lady of the flowers had been long dead, and her spirit was still supposed to bear the brand of perishability.
Robert Louis Stevenson
The great lack of architectural ruins in the country today may be largely accounted for by its perishability.
The World’s Progress, Vol. I (of X)
Various
British Dictionary definitions for perishability perishable adjective
- liable to rot or wither
noun
- (often plural) a perishable article, esp food
Derived Formsperishability or perishableness, nounperishably, adverb Word Origin and History for perishability perishable adj.
late 15c., perysabyl, from Middle French périssable, and later (in modern form), 1610s, directly from perish + -able. As a noun, perishables, in reference to foodstuffs, is attested from 1895.