perishable
UK[ˈperɪʃəbl]US[ˈperɪʃəbl]
adj
(of food, plants, etc.) likely to decay or go bad quickly
n
something, especially food, that decays or goes bad quickly
Morpheme Breakdown
perish
able
perish
to pass away, be destroyed
able
able to be, tending to
Etymology
the word 'perishable' is a compound formed from the english verb 'perish' and the productive suffix '-able'. the root 'perish' entered english via old french 'perir', which descended from latin 'perire', a combination of 'per-' (meaning 'through, completely') and 'ire' (meaning 'to go'), thus literally 'to go through, to be lost'. the suffix '-able', of latin origin through french, indicates capacity or susceptibility. therefore, the literal construction 'able to perish' directly and logically yields the modern meaning of something susceptible to decay or destruction, particularly used for commodities like food.
Analysis
Structure: perish + able
perish (from latin 'perire', meaning 'to pass away, be destroyed'); able (from latin '-abilis', a suffix forming adjectives meaning 'able to be, tending to')
Examples
milk is highly perishable and must be kept refrigerated.
the supermarket reduced the price of perishables nearing their expiration date.
we need a reliable supply chain for transporting perishable goods.